Manchester United vs. Real Sociedad: Europa Match Preview, Odds & Predictions

Vying for a place in the Europa League quarter-finals, Manchester United and Real Sociedad will face off at Old Trafford on Thursday night in the second leg of their last-16 tie. The teams are tied 1-1 after the first leg in San Sebastian, where Joshua Zirkzee's opening goal was canceled out by a 70th-minute penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

Three days after their draw with Real Sociedad, Manchester United played to another 1-1 result, this time against Arsenal in the Premier League. Declan Rice's second-half strike equalized Bruno Fernandes' impressive yet controversial free kick.

The Red Devils are set to finish their domestic season without silverware. With 10 games left, they sit 14th in the Premier League and 13 points behind the top five. Manager Ruben Amorim must deliver Europa League success if the club hopes to qualify for next season's Champions League.

Off-field matters have also made headlines this week, as co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe shared his views on key club issues, including financial challenges and Amorim's impact, while also announcing plans to build a new 100,000-seat stadium.

Amorim's immediate focus is on securing results, and while United have struggled domestically, they remain unbeaten in this season's Europa League (W5 D4), winning their last three home matches. In fact, United have lost only one of their last 28 Europa League home games (W21 D6), with that lone defeat coming against Real Sociedad in September 2022, courtesy of a Brais Mendez penalty.

Real Sociedad's draw with United in the first leg is their only positive result in their last four matches. They have lost their last three domestic games, including a 1-0 defeat to Sevilla in La Liga. After a heavy 4-0 loss to Barcelona, La Real were undone by a swift Sevilla counter-attack finished by Chidera Ejuke. This marked their 13th La Liga defeat this season and their sixth in nine top-flight matches in 2025.

Like United, Real Sociedad may need a deep Europa League run to secure Champions League qualification. They sit 11th in La Liga, 15 points behind the top four and 10 points off a guaranteed Europa League spot for next season.

Heading into Thursday's match, Real Sociedad have lost six of their last eight away games across all competitions and two of their last three in the Europa League. However, they are unbeaten in their last two visits to Old Trafford (W1 D1), keeping clean sheets on both occasions. The San Sebastian-based team, who defeated FC Midtjylland 2-1 in their last European away game, aim to progress beyond the last 16 of a major European competition for the first time this century.

Manchester United vs. Real Sociedad Team News

Manchester United will be without Lisandro Martinez (knee), Amad Diallo (ankle), Kobbie Mainoo (calf), Luke Shaw, Mason Mount (both hamstring), Jonny Evans (muscle), Altay Bayindir, Tom Heaton (both unspecified), and Chido Obi-Martin (ineligible). Leny Yoro, substituted at halftime against Arsenal due to a foot injury, is a doubt alongside Harry Maguire (knock), but Amorim hopes Manuel Ugarte (knock) will return to the squad after missing the last two games.

Patrick Dorgu, serving a domestic ban, is available for Europa League duty and is expected to start at left back. Amorim must decide whether to recall out-of-form striker Rasmus Hojlund or stick with Christian Eriksen and Alejandro Garnacho to support Zirkzee.

For Real Sociedad, Jon Pacheco (muscle) remains sidelined, while Luka Sucic (knee) and Jon Aramburu (foot) missed training on Monday and are major doubts. However, Alvaro Odriozola and Arsen Zakharyan have recovered and could feature, and star midfielder Martin Zubimendi is set to start after overcoming an illness that kept him out of the first leg.

After starting on the bench against Sevilla, Oyarzabal, Takefusa Kubo, and Ander Barrenetxea are expected to return to the attack, replacing Orri Oskarsson, Sheraldo Becker, and former Manchester City player Sergio Gomez.

Our Predictions

Full-time draw @ 3.40 on Sky247.ng

Only nine goals have been scored in seven previous meetings between the two sides, including four by United in a 4-0 win in February 2021. Another tight contest between two teams struggling domestically is likely, potentially requiring extra time, but we expect the hosts to edge through and set up a quarter-final clash with either Lyon or FCSB.

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