United are lucky that Rafael is out - Antoine Griezmann would have destroyed him

After shocking La Liga by storming to an impressive fourth-place finish last season, Real Sociedad found themselves struggling at the start of the current campaign to maintain the high level of performance that they had set themselves, winning just once in eight games. Not doing them any favours is the fact that they they were thrown into a tough Champions League group, one in which they sit rock bottom after three games without a single point.

But things seem to be looking up now. Their league form has improved recently, with them going unbeaten in their last four games, winning three of them. Their last victory, which came over the weekend, was a 5-0 home bashing of Osasuna. Finally, a team that seemed woozy after reaching the dizzying heights that they did last season is finally regaining its sense of balance. Sociedad have the belief that they can mix it with the big boys in the Champions League, one of them being Manchester United.

“We don’t have an inferiority complex,” said manager Jagoba Arrasate in his pre-match press conference ahead of his side’s home encounter with the Red Devils. “…We’ve been playing better in La Liga and maybe we have reduced the difference between the two teams…We’re getting used to playing during the week and we’re going to try and win the game.”

They’re in the kind of form that justifies why United manager David Moyes believes a victory is far from a foregone conclusion, even though his side has been picking up good results recently too. “I certainly won’t take anything for granted,” he said. “I have a lot of respect for Sociedad, and we will have to play well on Tuesday if we are going to get those 10 points which will get us over the line.”

One thing he surely won’t take for granted is the kind of damage a certain Antoine Griezmann could do. The 22-year-old Frenchman has been in fine form, hauling his team out of the depths of despair by scoring five goals in his last three league games. He has been key to La Real’s recent surge and is their best player so far this season according to Squawka’s Performance Score rating with 316 points. With seven league goals in total, he is their leading scorer and joint third-top in La Liga.

A left-footed wide man, he isn’t exactly an out-and-out winger. He loves cutting inside from the left-flank and get into dangerous positions in and around the penalty area, playing neat combinations with his fellow attackers. With that in mind and wiith right-back Rafael out, likely deputy Chris Smalling as well as central defenders Phil Jones and Nemanja Vidic will have to beware of the youngster’s movement.

The fact that Rafael isn’t playing may actually be in United’s best interests in this scenario, given the Brazilian’s defensive vulnerabilities. He is a player that is too eager to go commit to the challenge and is known to be reckless. That doesn’t bode well with Griezmann’s attributes, as he is quick and likes to dribble, attempting two take-on’s per game so far in La Liga and 1.3 in the Champions League.

Averaging 0.8 fouls per league game and 1.3 in the Champions League compared to Rafael’s 1.3 and two respectively, Smalling should prove a more conservative option when United are on the back foot. His positioning, awareness, and communication with his central defenders will be key to stifling Griezmann. His height (1.94 metres) will be useful at set pieces as well. Griezmann is also a threat at set-pieces, having netted a header at a corner already this season.

“I am enjoying myself and must give thanks to my teammates, as without them I would not have achieved this,” Griezmann said. “Last year I scored ten goals and I always say I am working to improve my statistics.” If United remain alert in defence, Griezmann will have to wait for another opportunity to boost his goal tally.