Manchester United qualified for the Round of 16 of the Champions League this season after beating BSC Young Boys mid-week. To be fair, the Red Devils had already qualified for the next round two weeks ago when they beat Villarreal 2-0. They finished top of Group F with 12 points out of a possible 18.
Having finished first in the group, United can be drawn against any team in the Round of 16 that finished second in their respective group. But, this comes with 2 conditions:
- Teams can’t draw an opponent from their own group until the quarter-finals stage. So United cannot draw Villarreal
- Teams can’t draw an opponent from their own nation until the quarter-finals stage. So United cannot draw Chelsea
This leaves six possible opponents for United in the Round of 16 of the Champions League – Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Sporting , SL Benfica, RB Salzburg and Inter Milan.
Therefore, let us evaluate the probable opponents for Manchester United ahead of the Round of 16 and try and rank them from worst to best:
1. SL Benfica
Group: E
W/D/L: 2/2/2
Goals for(xG): 7 (7.2)
Goals Against (xGa): 9 (11.1)
Benfica finished a shocking second over FC Barcelona. Jorge Jesus’s side are also currently placed 3rd in the Portuguese league. United and Benfica were part of the same group in 2017 and the English outfit won both the games. But, the time and form have changed. Now, Benfica mostly play an aggressive 3-4-3 formation. The Primeira Liga club are tricky opponents, but the Red Devils can certainly better them over the course of two legs.
2. Sporting
Group: C
W/D/L: 3/0/3
Goals for (xG): 14 (10.1)
Goals Against (xGa): 12 (10.5)
A similar situation to their Portuguese counterparts. Sporting finished ahead of Borussia Dortmund in a competitive group that also contained Besiktas and Ajax. Coached by former Benfica player Ruben Amorim, Sporting also play with a 3-4-2-1/3-4-3 formation. They currently sit second in the league, level on points but behind Porto on goal difference.
3. RB Salzburg
Group: G
W/D/L: 3/1/2
Goals for (xG): 8 (9.4)
Goals Against (xGa): 6 (6.1)
RB Salzburg have been touted as the dark horses in this edition of the Champions League. The Austrian outfit secured a place among the final 16 with a 1-0 win over Sevilla on Match-day 6. With talented youngsters like Karim Adeyemi, Antoine Bernede, Sekou Koita, etc., the Matthias Jaissle coached side can pack more than a fair punch. Salzburg are also 12 points clear at the top of the table in the Austrian league.
4. Atletico Madrid
Group: B
W/D/L: 2/1/3
Goals for(xG): 7 (7.6)
Goals Against (xGa): 8 (7.8)
Diego Simeone’s side have been quite underwhelming in defence this season. Even goalkeeper Jan Oblak has endured a rough patch as the Spanish champions have leaked 16 goals in the first 15 league games. However, Atletico Madrid have a plethora of talent in their ranks.
Luis Suarez is still performing at the highest level, while Antoine Griezmann and Rodrigo de Paul have also found form. Add this to regular performers like Koke, Carrasco, Trippier, Lemar, Correa and Lodi, the Los Colchoneros are not left wanting for quality. Their physical style, effectiveness on the counter and ability to defend tightly is massive advantage in the knock-out format.
5. Inter Milan
Group: D
W/D/L: 3/1/2
Goals for(xG): 8 (12.4)
Goals Against (xGa): 5 (4.6)
The Italian champions have been massively underrated this season. Under new manager Simone Inzaghi, Inter have picked up right from where they left off under Antonio Conte. The Nerazzurri are currently second in Serie A, albeit with the best xG Difference. Inter Milan play in a 3-5-2 shape and defend in a solid mid-block.
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6. Paris Saint-Germain
Group: A
W/D/L: 3/2/1
Goals for(xG): 13 (11.6)
Goals Against (xGa): 8 (10.7)
The French club are probably one side as unbalanced as Manchester United. Pochettino’s side have dropped points in at least one game against all 3 of their group opponents. While the players, including superstar Lionel Messi, have appeared to click in the last few games, PSG still have a lot of problems.
However, just the individual quality is enough to carry them to a positive result in the knock-out format. Furthermore, United will not like the prospect of having to come up against the likes of di Maria, Neymar, Messi and Mbappe all together with their defensive woes this season. PSG aren’t a perfect unit by any means, but United would benefit more from having another side face the French monsters.
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