Two Things Manchester United need to do to win the European Super Cup

Manchester United face off against Real Madrid in the much-anticipated European Super Cup encounter on Tuesday night. Both squads look at full strength with Cristiano Ronaldo having made the trip to Skopje, Macedonia with his Los Blancos teammates. The Red Devils have not had the best of records versus their European counterparts with just two wins in 10 competitive fixtures, and Mourinho will have to maintain a solid base to fend off the potential threat from Real Madrid. Here are three things United need to do at the Philip II Arena in order to come up victorious for the second time in the Super Cup;

Deploy a 3-5-2 formation: Mourinho has utilised the three-at-the-back formation in particular during pre-season and it could remain the same in Skopje. With Matic having recently joined, the Special One should be inclined to play three in central midfield with Ander Herrera and Paul Pogba offering company. The likes of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are hugely influential towards how Real Madrid move the ball in the centre of the park, and stopping them in their tracks would be key towards clinching another silverware

Offer Paul Pogba a free role: The France international appeared to struggle during his initial weeks of his Old Trafford return as he was deployed into more of a central role. Pogba has since ‘the play’ in the number ’10’ position, but a mixture of both could be the perfect fit for the midfielder. Pogba has not managed to replicate his performances from his time at Juventus, but he has the perfect platform to prove himself when he takes on some of the world’s elite at the Philip II Arena. A number of pundits have highlighted that this could be Pogba’s year, and Tuesday could give a fair highlight of how he has evolved at United.

Image – EPA