Following the announcement of the Champions League schedules, Man United must traverse four difficult European and domestic doubleheaders.
Manchester United is back in the Champions League, and with it comes a demanding schedule of games on the top European stage.
Last season, Erik ten Hag’s team competed in a grueling 62 club matches as they advanced to the final eight of the Europa League and both domestic cup finals. But with the Champions League back, the competition is of a higher caliber, and the Reds will face tough challenges as they try to get through their group.
The obvious threat is Bayern Munich, but FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray of Turkey and Denmark will both want to prove themselves against United. For the Reds, who are attempting to contend on two fronts, the Premier League fixture calendar has shown a quartet of crucial weeks.
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After the international break, United is forced back into action with a challenging doubleheader, which serves as the first staging post. The Reds will travel to Brighton in the Premier League, where they have had difficulty in recent seasons, before traveling to Bayern. Losing at the Amex would mark a concerning beginning to the domestic season for Ten Hag’s team, who have dropped their first two away games this season. Munich will be the odds-on favorite for the European opener, but United will want to challenge and establish their rightful place back at the Champions League level.
On Tuesday, October 24, United hosts Copenhagen at home to mark the halfway point of the group stage. From a European perspective, the Reds must win decisively and take all three points away from the Danes if they are to advance to the knockout round.
Rasmus Hojlund, a former striker for Copenhagen, will have a special night, but Ten Hag also needs to take into account the Manchester derby the following Sunday. The Reds have a chance to build on their home victory from the previous campaign at Old Trafford and demonstrate their advancement in their quest to catch City at the top of the table.
Even though the early signs have produced two losses, United’s away performance has been a major weakness under Ten Hag and must be improved this season. The Reds travel to Galatasaray on Wednesday, November 29, and there aren’t many tougher away days in Europe than that. Bayern is predicted to finish first in the group, so who advances will largely depend on how they fare against Turkey. As the penultimate game in the group, this fixture might have high implications for a winner-takes-all competition.
A few days later, United travels to Newcastle United in the Premier League. Although Eddie Howe’s team is currently competing in the Champions League, they will have to put their European endeavors on hold as they compete for crucial points in the top division. Tuesday, December 12, sees the conclusion of the Champions League group stage as United welcomes Bayern to Old Trafford. The Reds will hope to have qualified before the final, but they might need a win over Harry Kane and company to advance. It has all the characteristics of a traditional European night by the lights.
If United has already secured their spot in the round of 16, Ten Hag may focus on a huge weekend match at Liverpool. In these parts, a journey to Anfield is always a much-anticipated match, and those few days stand in for the major events United wants to become more frequent again.
