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1. Current form
Well, on current form, Manchester United have been better. They will be brimming with confidence after their 2-0 win over Everton. No doubt that Madrid have defeated Sevilla 4-1 but their defeat to Granada will be playing on their minds. Manchester United are on top of the EPL table. But Madrid is lagging behind in the La Liga race. So the confidence and advantage will be with United, even if it is only psychological.
2. Pressure
The pressure without a doubt is on Real Madrid who have to do whatever they can to try and win a significant trophy before the season ends. With La Liga seemingly out of their hands, they have to concentrate on the UCL. Pressure is on the Special One to get a trophy for his team. United have almost got the league title. So even though the UCL is of huge significance for United, they can afford to relax a bit more than Madrid.
3. RVP
Well, over the last few months, RVP has become United’s talisman. He scores goals, he assists, he takes corners and he takes free-kicks. Though both Pepe and Ramos will be there at the heart of the Madrid defense, they will have their task cut-out with RVP in red hot form as he scored against Everton too. It will be exciting to see how RVP performs against Madrid.
4. Keepers
Yes, both keepers aren’t the best in the world. But David de Gea has faced Madrid before and will have more confidence than Diego Lopez. Lopez faced Barcelona and he was decent. But now, he faces a strong team in a stronger competition. He has UCL experience whereas David de Gea is in his second season as United keeper, and therefore in his second year in the UCL. But the main thing is that Diego Lopez is replacing a huge name in the world of keeping. So he knows that the pressure will be on him as Madrid are tipped as favourites, so he wouldn’t want to spoil the party.
5. Sir Alex
Ok, Sir Alex is up against Jose Mourinho. But there is a reason why Mourinho calls Sir Alex ‘The Boss’. Sir Alex has plenty of experience with him. Jose knows that he has to get Real into the quarters because otherwise he won’t be able to show anything at the end of the season. Manchester United is one of the stronger teams and if Madrid beat them, they will have a greater chance of winning the UCL. Sir Alex has more options in the central midfield and even in the wide players. With reports suggesting Jose Mourinho’s departure from Madrid, the pressure increases. So with experience of both players and manager on United’s side, let’s see what happens.
