Manchester United take on French side Lyon on Thursday night as Ruben Amorim chases success in the Europa League.
Premier League action takes a back seat for Manchester United as Ruben Amorim takes his side to France on Thursday night.
United are stuck in the bottom half of the Premier League table, so the Europa League offers one last chance to secure European football for next season.
Going all the way and winning the final in Bilbao would see United qualify for the Champions League next season.
That is a tantalising prize for United to chase, and Amorim must advance beyond a Lyon side who sit fifth in Ligue 1.
Nicolas Tagliafico on Alejandro Garnacho
United will come up against Nicolas Tagliafico, a player who may ring bells for some supporters.
Erik ten Hag wanted to sign Tagliafico back in 2023, but Lyon blocked a potential move to Old Trafford.
Left back Tagliafico will not only feature on Thursday but also come up against his international teammate Alejandro Garnacho.
The pair could even battle down the same side, with Garnacho playing on the right side of United’s attack in recent weeks.
Tagliafico has now told the Daily Mail that he thinks Garnacho is ‘very dangerous’ and ‘really fast’ when he has space to attack.
The Lyon ace feels that Garnacho has lost some confidence under Amorim and believes he needs more support on the pitch.
Tagliafico believes that Garnacho ‘can be a star’ but may need more encouragement from teammates during games.
“If you leave a gap, they can still kill you. Bruno Fernandes is in good shape, he has great quality on the ball and Alejandro Garnacho I know is very dangerous in one-on-one situations, really fast. On paper they may look like they have the better household names but it’s about who is the best team,” said Tagliafico.
“I saw good qualities when he first stepped into the team but with a new coach and different styles, he has maybe lost a bit of confidence. When you miss this as a winger and at club like United, it’s not easy. I know he has had some difficult moments under the coach but maybe he needs more support on the pitch.”
“Sometimes it is more about communication. When a winger plays in front of me, I like to talk to him. Encourage him to take on one v one more or say when to tuck in. He is still very young. Maybe that’s what he needs more at United. But he is very fast, he has talent. For sure he can be a star,” he added.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 11 |  Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace | 30 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 39 | 35 | 4 | 43 |
| 12 |  BrentfordBrentford | 31 | 12 | 6 | 13 | 51 | 47 | 4 | 42 |
| 13 |  Man UtdManchester United | 31 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 37 | 41 | -4 | 38 |
| 14 |  TottenhamTottenham | 31 | 11 | 4 | 16 | 58 | 45 | 13 | 37 |
| 15 |  EvertonEverton | 31 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 33 | 38 | -5 | 35 |
Alejandro Garnacho has found form in the Europa League
Garnacho has been through ups and downs in the Premier League, and Tagliafico will be looking to give him a tough game on Thursday night.
Gary Neville has suggested patience over Garnacho, but accepts that he has been far too inconsistent.
The United winger has found some form in the Europa League, though.
Through United’s first seven Europa League games this season, Garnacho managed just one goal and no assists.
Garnacho picked up an assist against FCSB in January and also grabbed an assist in each leg of the last 16 clash with Real Sociedad.
That is now three Europa League games in a row with an assist for Garnacho, a tally he will be looking to build on against Lyon.
Coming up against Tagliafico will be fascinating, with the pair knowing each other well from international duty, but Amorim really needs Garnacho to get the better of this matchup and fire United to a strong result in France.
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