Still clinging to hope of salvaging a disastrous season, Manchester United head to France for the first leg of their Europa League quarterfinal against Lyon at Groupama Stadium on Thursday.
The match marks the first Europa League meeting between these two clubs, though they have previously clashed four times in the Champions League, most recently in 2008, when United triumphed en route to winning the competition.
After a dispiriting 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, United followed up with a goalless draw against rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford.
The lackluster affair raised questions among fans, with manager Ruben Amorim acknowledging that expectations may need to be tempered for a team that he insists is "improving."
Yet, with United languishing in 13th place in the Premier League, the Europa League is their last hope for European football next season.
Sitting a distant seven points from the top half of the table, a top-four finish in the league seems unrealistic.
However, the Red Devils remain unbeaten in the Europa League (W6 D4), having recently triumphed 5-2 on aggregate over Real Sociedad.
Captain Bruno Fernandes netted a remarkable hat trick in a 4-1 second-leg win.
Historically, United have been formidable in Europe, losing just one of their last 21 Europa League games – a 3-0 defeat to Sevilla in 2023, the only match in that span in which they failed to score.
The Red Devils have also been unbeaten in their last 11 first-leg knockout ties, with their last loss coming against Barcelona in the 2019 Champions League.
On the other hand, Lyon enter the tie with solid form, winning seven of their last 10 matches, including six of their last seven, during which they have netted 19 goals.
They most recently defeated Lille 2-1, coming from behind with goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Rayan Cherki.
Lyon is managed by assistant coach Jorge Maciel while head coach Paulo Fonseca serves a nine-month suspension for misconduct.
Despite this setback, the French side is currently fifth in Ligue 1, just two points shy of a Champions League qualification spot with six matches remaining.
Lyon’s Europa League run has been impressive, having topped their group ahead of United before thrashing FCSB 7-1 on aggregate in the last 16.
They are aiming to reach a major European semifinal for the first time since the 2019-20 Champions League.
However, Lyon has never defeated Manchester United in four attempts, drawing twice at home and losing both legs of their last two ties against English teams.
The French side faces a blow ahead of Thursday’s clash with the loss of winger Ernest Nuamah to a season-ending ACL injury, suffered just minutes into their victory over Lille.
Malick Fofana is also sidelined with a knee issue, but Cherki, who has nine goals and 18 assists this season, will likely play a key role alongside Lacazette and Thiago Almada.
As for United, they remain without key players: Lisandro Martinez, Amad Diallo, Ayden Heaven, and Jonny Evans all miss out due to injuries. Matthis de Ligt and Kobbie Mainoo are being assessed before kick-off, while Luke Shaw could return after a lengthy hamstring injury layoff. The left wing-back spot will likely remain with Patrick Dorgu, while Harry Maguire continues in defense.
Up front, United faces a decision: stick with Rasmus Hojlund or bring in Joshua Zirkzee, with Alejandro Garnacho also in line to start despite a tough season.
