Basel face high sequence opposite ideal Manchester United
Manchester United FC can endorse their place as Group A winners on matchday 5 – and palliate memories of their final outing to FC Basel 1893 in a process.
• United, who were 3-0 winners opposite Basel on matchday one, were separated from a 2011/12 UEFA Champions League in Switzerland, though 4 wins from 4 this deteriorate have given them a six-point pillow during a tip of a standings.
• José Mourinho’s side will validate as organisation winners with a draw. Their swell will be reliable if PFC CSKA Moskva do not win during home to bottom side SL Benfica in a early Group A game.
• Basel have 6 points, turn with CSKA, and will be by if they win and a Russian side remove due to improved head-to-head.
Previous meetings
• The teams initial met in a 2002/03 second organisation stage, United winning a initial diversion in Switzerland 3-1 with Ruud outpost Nistelrooy scoring twice. Ole Gunnar Solskjær got United’s clinching third idea after Christian Giménez had given Basel a first-minute lead.
• Giménez was also on aim in Manchester on 12 Mar 2003, his 14th-minute strike assisting Basel to a 1-1 draw with Gary Neville claiming United’s equaliser.
• Basel warranted another, essential indicate during Old Trafford in a 2011/12 organisation stage. Two goals from Danny Welbeck (16, 17) put United in assign usually for Fabian Frei (58) and an Alexander Frei double (61, 76pen) to leave Basel on a verge of a famous win; however Ashley Young salvaged a pull for United in a 90th minute.
• There would be no shun for United in Switzerland on matchday six though. Needing a indicate to bind second place in a section, United fell behind to Marco Streller’s ninth-minute opener and their predestine was effectively hermetic when Alexander Frei done it 2-0 with 6 mins to go, notwithstanding Phil Jones pulling one behind in a 89th minute. The outcome left Basel second in Group C and United third.
• The teams during St. Jakob-Park on 7 Dec 2011 were:
Basel: Sommer, Abraham, Cabral, Steinhöfer, Park, Dragović, Shaqiri (Stocker 90+2), F Frei, G Xhaka (Chipperfield 83), Streller, A Frei (Kusunga 88).
Manchester United: De Gea, Jones, Ferdinand, Vidić (Evans 44), Smalling, Evra, Giggs, Park (Macheda 82), Young (Welbeck 64), Nani, Rooney.
Match background
Basel
• Before thrashing SL Benfica 5-0 on matchday two – their record UEFA Champions League win, Raphaël Wicky’s organisation were but a feat in 9 European matches, home or divided (D3 L6), given a 2-1 home success over AS Saint-Étienne on 25 Feb 2016.
• However, Basel were beaten 2-1 during home by CSKA on matchday 4 and have now mislaid 3 of their final 4 European matches during St. Jakob-Park. They collected a singular indicate from their 3 games during home in final season’s organisation stage. The Benfica win was usually Bebbi’s second in their final 9 European home fixtures, with 4 waste in that sequence.
• Basel were separated from Europe final tenure following a 4-1 home detriment to Arsenal FC on 6 Dec 2016. They have mislaid usually 6 of their final 24 European home games given a start of 2013/14.
• Beaten divided and during home by Arsenal final season, a Swiss side have mislaid their final 3 games opposite English clubs, carrying been dominant in a prior 4 (W3 D1). Overall their record opposite English rivals is W6 D8 L13 (W5 D3 L5 during home).
• Basel competent by winning an eighth unbroken Swiss pretension in 2016/17.
• This is their eighth organisation theatre campaign, and their fourth in 5 years. Last tenure they came fourth in Group A, collecting usually dual points from their 6 outings.
Manchester United
• Their 5 games opposite Basel are a Red Devils’ usually matches opposite Swiss opposition.
• United have won all 4 Group A games; divided from home they beat CSKA 4-1 on matchday dual before a 1-0 success during Benfica in a third turn of fixtures.Â
• This is United’s sixth European compare this term, their debate carrying started with the 2-1 detriment to Real Madrid CF in a UEFA Super Cup in Skopje on 8 August. That finished United’s 11-match dominant run (W8 D3) given a 2-1 retreat during Fenerbahçe SK on matchday 4 of final season’s UEFA Europa League. The better in Istanbul had been their fifth in 9 European games.
• The Madrid better is United’s usually retreat in their final 16 European matches, home and divided (W12 D3). They are now seeking to extend a seven-match dominant European divided record (W5 D2) given that reversal during Fenerbahçe.
• This is United’s 21st debate in a UEFA Champions League organisation stage, and usually 4 times have they unsuccessful to make a subsequent round. Two of those eliminations came in their final 4 participations; a English bar finished third in their territory in both 2011/12 and 2015/16, their final appearance.
• United finished a clean brush of European trophies with feat in final season’s UEFA Europa League. The win opposite AFC Ajax in Stockholm combined to their European Cup triumphs in 1968, 1999 and 2008 and their 1991 European Cup Winners’ Cup success.
Coach and actor links
• Mourinho was Chelsea manager when they played Basel in a 2013/14 organisation stage, a Swiss outfit winning 2-1 in London on matchday one and 1-0 during home. Juan Mata played in both fixtures.
• Ricky outpost Wolfswinkel scored Sporting Clube de Portugal’s chastisement leader in a 1-0 feat over Nemanja Matić’s SL Benfica on 9 Apr 2012, and was also on aim in a 3-1 Sporting detriment on 10 Dec that year.
• Mata struck twice in United’s 4-0 home win opposite a Norwich City FC side including Van Wolfswinkel on 26 Apr 2014. Van Wolfswinkel was a surrogate when Norwich fell 1-0 during home to United on 28 Dec 2013.
• Have played together:
Geoffroy Serey Dié Eric Bailly (Ivory Coast)
Alexander Fransson Zlatan Ibrahimović, Victor Lindelöf (Sweden)