Manchester United require a victory over PSV Eindhoven at Old Trafford on Wednesday to seal a place in the knockout rounds of the Champions League.
However, Louis van Gaal's side face Dutch opponents who could move to the summit of Group B if they gain a win on away soil.
Manchester United
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On paper, it looks as though United are having an impressive season given that they are just one point off the top of the Premier League table after 13 games and are one win away from progressing into the knockout rounds of the Champions League.
However, it has not been plain sailing for the Red Devils as manager Van Gaal has faced criticism for his style of play and utilisation of the players at his disposal.
The team have been lacking attacking flair and have struggled in front of goal at times - they recently went three games without scoring a goal.
Some fans have criticised the decision to play Wayne Rooney as a lone forward and shift Anthony Martial to the left, with the club captain failing to hit the heights in terms of goals - he has scored seven so far this season.
On the other hand, United have been sturdy in defence having allowed just nine goals to be shipped past them, and that has been a major reason behind their surge to the top spots in the league standings.
In the Champions League, the North-West outfit stormed through qualification with comprehensive wins over Club Brugge, but they were dealt a blow in Holland when PSV claimed a 2-1 win at the Philips Stadion.
In addition to the result, United lost Luke Shaw, who was given a six-month layoff after breaking his leg in two places during the match, but the team were able to bounce back to go three games unbeaten following a win over Wolfsburg, plus a draw and a win over CSKA Moscow.
For this week's match, United will have the home crowd as an advantage as they are unbeaten in their last eight European fixtures at Old Trafford, which dates back to March 2013.
United, who have won the European crown three times, currently top the group with seven points, one more than PSV and Wolfsburg, and three more than bottom-placed CSKA.
Recent form: WWLWDW
Recent form (all competitions): DLDWWW
PSV Eindhoven
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Phillip Cocu's side will head to Old Trafford with the idea of upsetting the home team as they have a decent chance of topping the group on Wednesday.
PSV have already tasted victory over United as Hector Moreno and Luciano Narsingh managed to cancel out the 41st-minute goal from Memphis Depay, who left the Dutch club for United in the summer transfer window.
Domestically, PSV are on a positive run in the Eredivisie as they have only suffered one defeat in 13 league fixtures, which has left them third in the table, four points behind leaders Ajax.
The team have also been prolific in the league having scored 14 goals in their last four games, including a 6-3 victory over De Graafschap.
In the Champions League, PSV have won two and lost two, and they have a disappointing away record in the tournament so far as they are yet to earn a point on the road - in fact the team's last away win in the competition was a 1-0 victory over CSKA Moscow in November 2007.
The Dutch side have scored an impressive 34 goals so far this season, but they face a tough task breaking down United's defence on Wednesday.
Recent form: WLLW
Recent form (all competitions): WWWWWD
Team News
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United have been battered by injuries in the last few weeks, so much so that Van Gaal was without five players for last weekend's 2-1 win over Watford at Vicarage Road.
Rooney, Martial, Marouane Fellaini, Antonio Valencia and Michael Carrick were all ruled out of contention, meaning that Depay played up front as opposed to his usual position on the wing.
Injuries were piled on even further during the Premier League game as Ander Herrera and Phil Jones suffered a hamstring and foot problem respectively.
The good news for United is that Rooney could return to the lineup on Wednesday as he was only missing from last weekend's squad due to illness, but Martial could still be kept away from the first XI, despite being declared available.
Chris Smalling, who has been in fine form for the Red Devils this season, could partner Daley Blind at the back, with Matteo Darmian and Marcos Rojo taking up the full-back positions.
Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin could be handed spots in midfield, while Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard and Depay are likely to be providing support to Rooney.
The visitors have some injury troubles of their own as Menno Koch is still ruled out after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament, while Jetro Willems and Maxime Lestienne are also expected to miss this week's game.
Luuk de Jong, Jurgen Locadia and Narsingh are likely to form an attacking trio for PSV.
Manchester United possible starting lineup:
De Gea; Rojo, Blind, Smalling, Darmian; Schweinsteiger, Schneiderlin; Depay, Lingard, Mata; Rooney
PSV Eindhoven possible starting lineup:
Zoet; Arias, Moreno, Bruma, Brenet; Propper, Hendrix, Guardado; Narsingh, De Jong, Locadia
Head To Head
These two sides have gone head to head in European competitions five times, with the latest being a 2-1 win for the Dutch side in September.
It's even with regards to wins as both sides have earned two apiece, with PSV's triumphs coming in the group stages of the Champions League, the first of which was a 3-1 triumph in September 2000-01.
United's two wins came in the form of a 3-1 result in the home leg of the 2000-01 group, with goals from Teddy Sheringham, Paul Scholes and Dwight Yorke, and a 1-0 win in the second round of the UEFA Cup in 1984.
The first meeting between the two clubs ended in a goalless draw in the first leg of the tournament.
We say: Manchester United 2-1 PSV Eindhoven
United are in a good run of form heading into this week's match as they are unbeaten in their last four games in all competitions, and while PSV are flying high in their domestic league, they will find it difficult to add to their goal tally at Old Trafford. Van Gaal's side may not be scoring goals for fun at the moment, but with the crowd behind them, they should have enough quality to snatch victory.
Danielle Joynson
