Man Utd
Just three Premier League wins in 11 games does not make for good reading if you are Man United head coach Ruben Amorim who has described his Red Devils side as “Maybe the Worst” in the club’s 147-year history following last weekend’s humbling 3-1 defeat to Brighton. Bruno Fernandes first-half penalty was Man United’s only shot on target against the Seagulls, while another mistake from goalkeeper Andre Onana his fourth of the season leading to a goal – allowed Georginio Rutter to score the visitors’ third and condemn Amorim’s men to their fourth home defeat in five matches. Languishing in 13th place in the Premier League, Man United’s hopes of securing European football for next season seem to be fading every passing week, with 11 points now separating the 20-time English champions from the top seven, while they are 10 points clear of the relegation zone. Success in the Europa League would salvage something positive from what has been a dismal campaign thus far, and Man United are on course to secure an automatic last-16 spot as they currently sit inside the top eight, one point clear of ninth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, with two games remaining – they beat Viktoria Plzen 2-1 away in their most recent match last month.
Rangers
Amorim is not the only manager under pressure to grind out positive results, as Philippe Clement is tasked with turning Rangers’ fortunes around on all fronts after being backed by the club’s hierarchy. Since enduring a run of just two wins in eight games across all competitions, and since CEO Patrick Stewart revealed that “Changing the manager isn’t a silver bullet solution”, Rangers have won each of their last three matches under Clement by an aggregate score of 11-1. After securing maximum points in Scottish Premiership games against St Johnstone (3-1) and Aberdeen, the Gers cruised to an emphatic 5-0 win at home to Highland League outfit Fraserburgh in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup last weekend, with Cyriel Dessers netting a hat-trick. Rangers may sit 13 points behind Old Firm rivals Celtic in the Scottish Premiership, but they are in a decent position to secure a last-16 spot in the Europa League, currently clinging on to a top-eight position, while they are four points clear of the elimination zone heading into their final two fixtures against Man United and Union SG. The Glaswegian giants, who picked up a point in a 1-1 draw with Spurs in their last Europa League match, travel to Old Trafford on Thursday having won just one of their last eight European away games against English opposition – a 2-1 success over Leeds United in qualifying for the 1992-93 Champions League.
Prediction
Victory for either side would significantly boost their chances of qualifying automatically for the last 16, while Amorim could become only the third Man United boss after Sir Matt Busby (1956) and Sir Alex Ferguson (1990) to win his first three European games in charge of the club. However, considering their form, particularly at Old Trafford, the Red Devils could come up short once again against a rejuvenated Rangers outfit, who may find a way to claim a share of the spoils in Manchester.
The Rhinos Fancies
Bruno Fernandes To Score Anytime 7/5
Both Teams To Score, Over 8.5 Corners & Over 2.5 Cards 19/10