Manchester United are in action in the Europa League against Czech side Plzen, who are aiming to claim a major scalp.
Plzen have lost only two games in 18 matches in the league this season, while their Europa League record is quite notable.
Through five matches, Plzen are unbeaten, winning two and losing three, exactly the same record as Manchester United.
And over in the Czech Republic, there is a belief Plzen could go toe-to-toe with Manchester United and come away with a result.
Manuel Ugarte of Manchester United moves forward with the ball during the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Nottingham Forest F...
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Manchester United seen as vulnerable
Manchester United’s two successive defeats along with Dan Ashworth leaving the club suddenly, has given the impression of a team in crisis.
Denik.cz reports: “Plzen’s impressive run and Manchester’s troubles. These results give hope.”
Within the piece, Manchester United’s poor European away record is pointed to, “Away? It’s not that great there. Young Boys Bern, Basaksehir, Astana, Basel or Midtjylland. These are all teams from whose turf Manchester United has not been able to take a single point in recent times.”
Embarrassingly for United, they aren’t wrong.
Zak.tv reports: “Manchester United is an established football brand, its squad is full of internationals. However, it is currently experiencing a very turbulent period and its current form is far from optimal. Viktoria Plzen would like to take advantage of this.”
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Columnist Daniel Pudil writes for Sport.cz: “Plzen definitely has a chance. I know that their players are a bit tired and worn out. But when will you play against Manchester United? You may only get lucky once in your life.
“Everyone will definitely be looking forward to it, it will be sold out. Viktoria has nothing to lose.”
Plzen boss backs United
Plzen manager Miroslav Koubek is not getting carried away by Manchester United’s lowly 13th position in the Premier League table, noting that there have been fine lines with some of the results.
Koubek told Sport.cz: “This doesn’t mean anything, I’ve seen their games. United could have caught up with them [other teams] better in terms of results, but they’re not in a bad condition.
“If anyone thinks otherwise, they’re very wrong,” he warned.
He also discussed the impact of new head coach Ruben Amorim, offering insight on what the Red Devils boss is doing with the changes to the team.
Koubek said: “Everything is different. Coach Amorim is betting on a different formation, the players have different tasks.
“There is a lot of rotation in the lineup. I would call this a process of searching for subsequent stabilization.”
His comments are spot on, Amorim is trying to learn as much as he can about his current squad, while managing the minutes of those who are not fully fit.
With the Manchester derby upcoming this weekend, expect to see an element of rotation in Manchester United’s team selection against Plzen.
Ruben Amorim has taken a strong 24-man squad – but there is potential he could switch up his XI like he did against Bodo/Glimt.
However, he won’t want to underestimate Plzen and end up with a third successive loss heading into the derby.
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