MANCHESTER UNITED VERSUS AC MILIAN: THE BATTLE OF THE CENTURY

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I can't believe I am saying this but this season Europa League offers a tougher competition when compared to the champions league. The reason for saying this is due to the fact that the dry bone who used to be champions back then are roaring back to their best self. The majority of the teams in the Europa League at the moment are greatly enriched with a football history that some top clubs of this age could only dream of. A vivid example is the likes of Manchester United, Ac Milan, Arsenal, Rangers, Ajax e.t.c. These teams are all in good form and that makes them an exciting side to watch.

The match that will definitely capture people attention the most is the game between Manchester United and Ac Milan and they are right to long for the face-off. Talk about class, trophies, rich history, legends and of course good form, both teams have that at the moment. The two teams currently occupy the second position in their respective league tables (i.e England and Italy). That further shows the level of quality to expect from both teams who obviously will play to win the match and eventually the title.

With both teams having more history in the champions league (AC Milan has won five champions league and Manchester United won three), they will be looking to add the Europa trophy too to their title cabinet. The two teams recognise the importance of this contest and you could expect a very fierce game between the two. In fact, from the first second of the ball being kicked, you could expect your eye glued to the field of play and expect a thrilling match between the two sides.

Head to Head of the two sides [From 2004 till date]

The following head to head captures just the event between these two great sides from 2004 till date (17 years). I like talking more about events I witness rather than using historical record; hence the reason for this segregation. Going by the number of time the two times have encountered from 2004, they have both shared three-win apiece while also playing a draw on three different occasions. That brings the total of the matches to nine matches within the 17 years.

From the above records, it could be seen how tough the two sides are and also how much they put into each game. A testament to the competitive nature of the two sides. Their recent run of clashes in 2019 and 2018 has both ended in a draw. 2-2 and 1-1 respectively. Manchester United seems to have the greater scoreline when they win a match and the biggest win for them was a 4-0 win while Ac Milan has a 3-0 win as their biggest winning margin against Manchester united.

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Expected Line up for Tonight Matchup

AC Milan
A lot of surprises could be seen in the names of players for tonight matches as some superstars will have to start from the bench especially from the manchester united camp. The god of football (IBRAHIMOVIC) will sit this out has he still injured and this is certainly one of those matches he won't want to miss.

Ac Milan basically started the same tested and trusted line up with which we have known them for. in their goal, Gianluigi Donnarumma remains their best and most preferred choice and he starts this match in goal. Ac Milan backline is made up of two on loan premier league players in person of Fikayo Tomori (Chelsea) and Diogo Dalot (Manchester United) while Pierre Kalulu and an old-timer Alessio Romagnoli complete the back four for AC Milan.

Soualiho Meite, Rade Krunic and Franck Kessie are the players in midfield for Ac Milan while the forwards include Alexis Saelemaekers, Rafael Leao and Samuel Castillejo.The other players aside from Zlatan Ibrahimovic missing out for Ac Milan are Theo Hernandez, Ismael Bennacer, Hakan Calhanoglu, Ante Rebic and Mario Mandzukic. their absence will be greatly felt by the Milan based team.

Manchester united
For Manchester United, this looks different has Henderson got the nod over De Gea in this match. It showed how much trust the coach has in him and how far he has grown. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Eric Bailly, Harry Maguire and Alex Telles completes the back four for manchester united. Luke shaw will likely start from the bench as he losses his starting spot due to the knock he picked up against Manchester City.

Scott McTominay, Fred and Bruno Fernandes complete the bout at midfield while the forwards utilized are Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial and Daniel James. Martial wasn't even expected to start due to the knock he picked up against Manchester City also but due to Rashford and Cavani missing out through injury, he had to be rushed back into the starting line up. The notable player missing in the Manchester United midfield is Paul Pogba and he will likely come in at a later time during the match.

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MATCH PREDICTION

Both teams are currently in great form and their recent match result is a testament to that. Manchester United might have much higher morale after beating Manchester City in their last Premiership encounter and they will also be banking on their defence to shut Milan out after keeping four clean sheets in a row in all competitions. AC Milan also have a great outing the last time out as they defeated their opponent with two unrealised goals and their defence also has been solid in the recent run of matches

The days of Rooney and kaka might be over but the fresh stars in both teams are expected to make the match exciting and you could expect goals despite the formidable defence both teams possess. the first leg will be played at Old Trafford and that will be a huge advantage to Manchester united.

The scoreline of the match should end at 3-1 with manchester united being the winner of the match. Bruno Fernandez is expected to score either from the spot or through his excellent shooting capabilities.