Last season, there were two fascinating stories that developed over the second half of the English Premier League and German Bundesliga seasons: those of Manchester United and VfL Wolfsburg, who returned and exploded into prominence, respectively. Now, those teams face off head-to-head in the Champions League, set to figure out which team is further along in their path to glory.
Manchester United vs. Wolfsburg, Champions League 2015: Time, TV schedule and team news
One of the more fascinating matchups we’re in store for in this group stage is about to play out for the first time, as Manchester United host VfL Wolfsburg.
Manchester had to deal with overcoming a season of serious struggle in the wake of the departure of the famed Sir Alex Ferguson, and Louis Van Gaal has proved to be a capable man of turning around a side that had looked hapless before his arrival. Many United fans aren’t entirely satisfied with his performance leading the team just yet, but it’s hard to argue with his results -- he got Manchester back in the Champions League in his first season, and in his second he has the Red Devils perched back atop the Premier League after seven league matches.
For Wolfsburg, they’ve long been a good-but-not-great team in the Bundesliga, with even their title-winning season often regarded as coming in a weak season for Germany’s top division. Last year, though, they became a team you had to pay attention to, blasting Bayern Munich and looking nearly unstoppable for long stretches of the season on their way to a second-place finish in the league and their first DFB-Pokal title. This season started out just as dominant, but were on the wrong end of Robert Lewandowski’s five-goals-in-nine-minutes barrage, then struggled to recover from that, drawing to last-place Hannover at home. If Wolfsburg can’t get back into gear for this match, they could be in a lot of trouble, but if they can get back to doing what they do best, this is going to be one heck of a game.
Key player -- Morgan Schneiderlin (Manchester United)
While Wolfsburg have a great striker in Bas Dost, it’s their attacking midfield band that makes them as dangerous as they are going forward. They’ve got a diverse and dangerous group, with lots of options the choose from in any given match headlined by the liked of Julian Draxler, Andre Schürrle, Max Kruse and Daniel Caligiuri. Whoever they start behind Dost, Schneiderlin is going to be hard-pressed to keep them at bay, and this could prove to be one of the most challenging matches of the talented defensive midfielder’s career. If Schneiderlin proves to not be up to the task, Manchester United will be in a lot of trouble.
Key Matchup -- Juan Mata (Manchester United) vs. Ricardo Rodriguez (Wolfsburg)
Mata has had a bit of a rough season for Manchester United so far. Yes, he’s tied for their top scorer, and leads the team with assists, but when he’s not scoring goals or setting them up, many United fans feel as though he’s not giving them much of anything. Well, Mata is going to need to prove them wrong if he’s going to help Manchester in this match, because he’ll be facing off one-on-one with one of the best young left backs in Europe in Rodriguez, who’s been a rising star for Wolfsburg over the past few seasons. The Swiss fullback is a dynamic threat, capable of shutting down his flank and helping to unlock his team’s attack at the other end of the pitch. Mata’s going to have to be very, very good to top that.
Manchester United injuries and suspensions
Out: Marcos Rojo (hamstring), Luke Shaw (broken leg), Michael Carrick (muscle) In doubt: Patrick McNair (unknown), Antonio Valencia (knock), Ander Herrera (knock)
Wolfsburg injuries and suspensions
Out: Robin Knoche (ankle), Felipe (foot), Vieirinha (thigh) In doubt: Luiz Gustavo (knee)
Both defenses are looking a little battered at the moment, with two Manchester starters out and two rotation players in question, and Wolfsburg missing two starters and a reserve. Given that neither team’s defensive backups have exactly been inspiring so far this season, we could be in for a high-scoring game -- though whichever team can figure out how to best cope with their less-than-ideal situation will have a huge advantage in this match.
Match Date/Time: Wednesday, 2:45 p.m. ET, 7:45 p.m. local
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester, England
TV: Fox Sports 1 (U.S.), Sky Sport 1/HD, Sky Sport 4/HD, WDR 2 (Germany), BT Sport Ultra HD, BT Sport Europe (U.K.)
Online: Fox Soccer 2 Go, Fox Sports Go (U.S.), Sky Go Deutschland (Germany), BT Sport Live (U.K.), UEFA TV
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