Good first-leg win

By Chris O'Brien
April 15 2021

Manchester United - boasting a two-goal advantage - are huge favourites to secure safe passage to the Europa League last four, as Granada visit Old Trafford for a second-leg tie on Thursday evening.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men took a huge stride towards the last four of a major European tournament with a 2-0 first-leg win at Nuevo Los Cármenes.

Marcus Rashford opened the scoring shortly after the half-hour mark, while a late penalty from talisman Bruno Fernandes put the Red Devils firmly in control.

Granada - who sit eighth in the La Liga table - are as high as 49/1 to come to Old Trafford and overturn the two-goal deficit.

United, however, have a number of major absentees for the game - with skipper Harry Maguire, on-form left-back Luke Shaw and midfield regular Scott McTominay all suspended.

The team's indiscipline in the first-leg - which saw them chalk up five yellow cards - led to a €7,000 fine from Uefa for 'improper conduct.

Solskjaer is also sweating on the fitness of Rashford, who had to sit out training mid-week with an ankle problem; while he confirmed in a pre-match press conference that Eric Bailly remains unavailable.

The absentees means United's out-of-favour defender Axel Tuanzebe is expected to play a big role. Alex Telles seems certain to start too, while Donny Van de Beek could get a rare chance to impress from the start of a match.

Solskjaer is on the cusp of leading United to a second European semi-final under his stewardship; in what would be the 18th time the Red Devils have reached the last four of a major continental cup. To date, those semi-final appearances have been converted into five European titles - three European Cups, a Europa League and a Cup Winners' Cup success.

If United - who have won three on the bounce - avoid a catastropic collapse against the Nazaríes, they will face Ajax or Roma in the last four; who do battle tonight in Italy's capital, with the Serie A outfit boasting a 2-1 advantage.

Come on Ole's United.