Europa League | Round of 16 | 1st Leg

Mar 6, 2025 at 5.45pm UK

Reale Arena

Real Sociedad vs Man Utd

Match preview

A crucial week for Ruben Amorim's Man United began in disappointing fashion on Sunday as the FA Cup holders were dumped out of the competition in the fifth round by Fulham, losing 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils are guaranteed to end their domestic campaign without a trophy, and with the club languishing in 14th place in the Premier League table, 13 points adrift of the top five with 11 games remaining, the pressure is on Amorim and co to deliver Europa League glory if they are to qualify for next season's Champions League and salvage something positive from a dismal 2024-25 campaign.

While Man United's domestic form has been patchy of late, they are, somewhat surprisingly, the only remaining Europa League side yet to lose in this season's competition, having drawn three and then won five of their eight matches in the league phase.

Only Galatasaray (19), Lazio and Tottenham Hotspur (both 17) have scored more goals in the league phase than Man United (16), who are averaging 18.8 shots per game in this season's competition - their best ratio in a European campaign since records began in 2003-04.

The Red Devils will travel to San Sebastian in the hope of picking up a positive result on Thursday, having lost just one of their last eight European away games in Spain (W5 D2), although their most recent defeat came at Sevilla (3-0) in the second leg of their 2022-23 Europa League quarter-final tie.

Real Sociedad are in the midst of a difficult run of fixtures and go into Thursday's clash on the back of successive defeats at the hands of Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona, losing 1-0 at home to the former in the Copa del Rey just five days before a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of the latter in La Liga on Sunday.

Aritz Elustondo's 17th-minute dismissal proved costly, as Barca scored twice in the next 12 minutes before adding a third and fourth midway through the second half to condemn Real to their 12th La Liga defeat of the season and fifth in eight top-flight games in 2025.

Imanol Alguacil's side may have to go all the way in the Europa League if they are to qualify for next season's Champions League, as they have slipped to ninth in the La Liga table, 12 points adrift of the top four with as many games to play, and 10 points adrift of the top five and a guaranteed Europa League place for next season.

Real Sociedad have never progressed beyond the last 16 of a major European competition in the 21st century and success on Thursday could be crucial if they are to do so, having won the first leg in eight of their last 10 European knockout ties.

However, La Real have never beaten an English side on home soil (D1 L3) and have failed to score in each of their last three matches against none other than Man United, who they have only beaten once in six previous European encounters - a narrow 1-0 group-stage victory at Old Trafford in September 2022.

Recent Performance

Real Sociedad Europa League form:WWLWWW

Real Sociedad form (all competitions):WLWWLL

Manchester United Europa League form:DWWWWW

Manchester United form (all competitions):LWLDWL

Team News

Real Sociedad will be without Jon Pacheco (muscle) and Arsen Zakharyan (thigh), while Alvaro Odriozola (unspecified) is a doubt, but Sheraldo Becker and Takefusa Kubo are available after serving domestic suspensions.

Both Martin Zubimendi and Jon Aramburu missed the Europa League second-leg win over Midtjylland through suspension, but are ready to return on Thursday and are likely to start in centre-midfield and at right-back respectively.

Alguacil will consider whether to recall top scorer Mikel Oyarzabal, who has nine goals to his name this season, or stick with centre-forward Orri Oskarsson, who has four Europa League goals in seven games.

Man United are without Lisandro Martinez (knee), Amad Diallo (ankle), Kobbie Mainoo (calf), Luke Shaw (hamstring), Mason Mount, Altay Bayindir (both undisclosed), Jonny Evans (muscle) and Toby Collyer (knock).

Harry Maguire (knock) and reserve goalkeeper Tom Heaton (unspecified) are both doubtful and the former's possible absence could see Victor Lindelof start at centre-back alongside Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro, or Noussair Mazraoui move from full-back to a three-man defence.

January signing Patrick Dorgu is available to make his European debut for Man United after serving the first part of a three-match domestic ban last weekend, but 17-year-old striker Chido Obi-Martin is ineligible after not being included in the Red Devils' Europa League squad submitted last month.

Amorim will consider starting both Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho in attack, which could see either Rasmus Hojlund or Joshua Zirkzee - two out-of-form strikers - drop to the substitutes' bench.

Possible starting lineup

Real Sociedad possible starting lineup:

Remiro; Aramburu, Zubeldia, Aguerd, Munoz; Sucic, Zubimendi, Mendez; Kubo, Oyarzabal, Barrenetxea

Manchester United possible starting lineup:

Onana; De Ligt, Lindelof, Yoro; Dalot, Ugarte, Casemiro, Dorgu; Garnacho, Fernandes; Zirkzee