Manchester United will welcome Belgian outfit Club Brugge to Old Trafford on Tuesday for the first leg of their Champions League playoff.
Louis van Gaal's side will be keen to secure a strong result ahead of the second leg next week as the Dutchman attempts to lead his side back into the group stages of the competition.
Man United
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The 2013-14 campaign was extremely painful for Man United and their supporters, with a seventh-place finish meaning that they would miss out on Champions League football for the first time since the 1995-96 season.
David Moyes lost his job as a result, but Van Gaal did manage to lead the Red Devils to fourth last term and with it, a spot in the Champions League playoffs.
United's last game in this competition was a 3-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of the 2013-14 season, but they have won four of their last five home Champions League games. There is no question that it is a special match for the club as a whole and indeed for Van Gaal, as he prepares to take charge of his first Champions League fixture in the Old Trafford hotseat.
It has been a strong start to the new campaign for Van Gaal's side, who have won both of their Premier League matches 1-0 to sit third in the table. They overcame Tottenham Hotspur on the first weekend of the season, before recording a 1-0 win over Aston Villa on Friday.
The Red Devils have also won all four of their previous Champions League qualifying ties, their last being a 6-0 aggregate victory over Debrecen in the 2005-06 season. With all respect to Club Brugge, this is the tie that United would have wanted. The fact that the second leg is away, however, places more importance on the home match.
It would be a surprise if Van Gaal's team did not have enough to secure their spot in the group stages of this season's competition and the fact that they have won each of their two league matches in the new campaign will certainly have brought confidence. In front of their own supporters, it is the chance to put on a good performance.
United are three-time winners of the Champions League – the last of which came in 2008 – and Van Gaal will be hoping for a successful return to the competition. The Dutchman won the European Cup as manager of Ajax in the 1994-95 season and has also led both Barcelona and Bayern Munich in Europe's premier competition.
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Club Brugge
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It would be fair to say that Club Brugge are the underdogs for this tie, but the Belgian side have already beaten a strong Panathinaikos side to advance to the playoff stage of the competition.
Blauw-Zwart, who have not competed in the group stages of the Champions League since the 2005-06 season, actually lost 2-1 to Panathinaikos in the first leg of the third qualifying round, but a 3-0 home victory on August 5 ensured that they would advance to within one tie of the tournament proper.
Founded in 1891, Club Brugge are one of the most decorated football clubs in Belgian football, having won the league championship on 13 occasions. They are also the only Belgian club to have played in the final of the European Cup – that occurred in 1978, when they lost to Liverpool.
Second place in the Belgian league last season earned them a spot in the early stages of the Champions League, but this is their first ever playoff tie in the competition. Their overall record in England is poor, however, losing on nine of their 11 trips and failing to win in the process.
What's more, Belgian teams have won just one of their last 31 away games against English sides in Europe. Anderlecht are a prime example of the struggles of Belgian sides, with Club Brugge's league rivals losing all three of their away games to United, including a 10-0 defeat back in the 1956-57 season.
Club Brugge have made a decent start to their new league season, however, recording seven points from their four matches to sit third in the table. It will be a big ask for the visitors to take something from the first leg at Old Trafford, but they will be hopeful of springing a surprise.
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Team News
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United are still without the services of Phil Jones through illness, but Belgian international Marouane Fellaini could feature despite missing the first two league games through suspension.
Sergio Romero should also continue between the sticks ahead of David de Gea, while Bastian Schweinsteiger and Ander Herrera will also be hoping to feature from the start.
Javier Hernandez, however, looks likely to remain on the bench as Wayne Rooney prepares to lead the line once again.
As for Club Brugge, head coach Michel Preud'homme has a host of injury concerns.
Felipe Gedoz, Lior Refaelov, Thomas Meunier, Bernie Ibini-Isei, Bjorn Engels and Nicolas Castillo are
all on the sidelines for the visitors, while three or four more are due for late fitness tests.
Skipper Timmy Simons is expected to lead the Belgian side, while 19-year-old Belgian Under-21 international Obbi Oulare should also feature from the start.
Former Barcelona midfielder Victor Vasquez is also expected to feature for the visitors.
Man United possible starting lineup:
Romero; Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Shaw; Schneiderlin, Herrera; Depay, Januzaj, Mata; Rooney
Club Brugge possible starting lineup:
Bruzzese; De Bock, Duarte, Mechele, Cools; Vasquez, Simons, Vormer, Dierckx; Diaby, Oulare
Head To Head
This will be the first time that the two teams have met in European competition.
However, as discussed, Club Brugge have struggled on English soil in the past.
We say: Manchester United 3-0 Club Brugge
Man United have been economical rather than spectacular so far this season and Van Gaal will want to see an improvement in terms of performance on Tuesday.
The hosts should prove far too strong for Club Brugge over the two legs and will be confident of taking a solid lead into the return game next week.
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