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Old 11-09-2017, 11:55 PM   #3
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Default Re: [UCL] Manchester United vs FC Basel


PREVIEW : MANCHESTER UNITED V FC BASEL

Setting the scene… After an impressive start to the Premier League season with 10 points from a possible 12, United's attentions now turn to the European campaign. The Reds will look to carry the early season form into Europe, in the hope of marking the return to the Champions League with a win at Old Trafford on Tuesday night when Jose Mourinho's men face FC Basel in the first Group A game.

How have FC Basel started the season? The reigning Swiss champions got their domestic season off to the worst possible start when they lost 2-0 to BSC Young Boys on the opening day of the 2017/18 campaign. Raphael Wicky's side got into their stride thereafter, but went down to a 2-1 defeat at home against Lausanne-Sport on Saturday. Having won the Swiss title for the last eight seasons in a row, FC Basel will be expected to do the same this term, and they will be looking to impress on the European stage as well.

Any team news for me? United will be without the suspended Phil Jones and Eric Bailly, and Mourinho said after the draw at Stoke that Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof will replace them at the heart of the defence.

Have we faced FC Basel before? Yes, we have played the Swiss outfit on four occasions in the past, each match coming in the Champions League group stages. The Reds won the first game 3-1, away in 2002, before drawing 1-1 at Old Trafford in the return fixture in 2003. The sides played out an entertaining 3-3 draw at Old Trafford in September 2011 and FC Basel came out on top in the return fixture of the 2011/12 campaign as a winning goal from Alexander Frei handed them all three points and knocked the Reds out of the group stage in the process.

Last time we were in Europe... Of course, as we all know United's last European match was the Europa League final, in which Jose Mourinho's men beat Ajax 2-0 in Stockholm. The Reds won nine of the 14 games en route to the final and were unbeaten throughout the knock-out stages. United have not featured in Europe's premier competition since the 2015/16 season, when the Reds failed to make it past the group stage.

Who is the referee? Ruddy Buquet of France will take charge of Tuesday's encounter at the Threatre of Dreams. The 40-year-old, who is a commercial agent by day, has been an international referee since 2011 and officiating regularly in the French top-flight, Ligue 1, since 2008. He leads a French team of officials including linesmen Guillaume Debart and Frederic Cano, fourth official Cyril Gringore, and additional assistants Amaury Delerue and Francois Letexier.

Did you know? 2017/18 marks the 50th anniversary of the famous 1967/68 season, when Sir Matt Busby guided United to a first ever triumph on the European stage. In that campaign Busby's side, which included all-time greats such as Sir Bobby Charlton, George Best and Denis Law, overcame the Maltese champions Hibernians, Yugoslavian side FC Sarajevo, Polish outfit Gornik Zabrze, Spanish giants Real Madrid and Eusebio's Benfica on the route to glory.

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Last edited by penk22_; 12-09-2017 at 12:05 AM..
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