A 2-1 win for United
Also in our Instagram story, Coley offers his own view on tonight's action while looking typically cool in the team hotel. "It's matchday in Odessa, it's a big game for us this evening and my score prediction is a 2-1 win for United," he says.
"It's freezing here!"
Mickey T is optimistic about tonight's match, despite the difficult conditions here in Ukraine. "We only need a draw but let's go for the win," he explains in our evolving Instagram story. "Let's top the group. And by the way... it's freezing here!"
Waiting for the Reds
A gaggle of hardy fans, who have been huddling together outside the hotel for several hours, were excited to catch a glimpse of the United players.
Mickey and Coley on MUTV
Former Reds Mickey Thomas and Andy Cole are with us in Ukraine and the pair have both been speaking to MUTV ahead of kick-off. They've also provided their thoughts on the game, which you can read by scrolling up...
Reds' pre-match routine
As is the norm on matchday, the players will be resting in the team hotel before tonight's game, with a light stretching session scheduled in before the squad make the short journey to the stadium later.
10:53 GMT
We'll play to win
United only need a point to guarantee progression tonight but Henrikh Mkhitaryan insists the Reds will be playing for all three. “We are not going to play for a draw,” he told MUTV. “It would be good to win before the game against Tottenham – good for our mentality, good for the atmosphere in the dressing room."
09:53 GMT
Jose relishing fight on four fronts
United are the only Premier League team still in four competitions and that could make for a busy fixture list, which is fine by Jose Mourinho. "I like the knockout competitions," he told MUTV. "Thursday is a crucial moment, we're in the semi-final in the League Cup, we're in the FA Cup, plus the Premier League. I love to train but I prefer to play."
09:49 GMT
Full steam ahead Odessa
Some fans have had a long journey to get here!
Matchday in Ukraine
It's matchday in Odessa, as United prepare for the final Europa League group game against Zorya Luhansk. The temperature is up slightly but it's still bitingly cold, though nevertheless beautiful, here.
The boss
19:56 GMT
Getting ready for Zorya
19:46 GMT
Training pics
Here are some shots from United's early evening training session on the Chornomorets Stadium pitch...
19:39 GMT
More to come from Odessa
The press conferences are over but there is still plenty going on in Ukraine. We'll provide more updates as we look forward to tomorrow night's key clash.
Mkhitaryan in determined mood
Henrikh Mkhitaryan stated: "It was difficult to watch the games without me but I have proved that I can play with the main squad. Now I can repeat it and I can prove it again."
18:49 GMT
Micki on the manager
Asked if the manager has spoken to him privately, Henrikh revealed: “Yes, we have spoken a lot. First when I came here and he told me what I have to improve. I think that he saw I improved in that time and he gave me the next chance to play again.”
"I am a top-level player"
On his recent form, Mkhitaryan said: "I started playing so I’m positive, I think positively and I am glad to have more playing time for the future because it’s something that is not that predictable. So I want to say you have to be ready for every situation so I was ready and I showed I am a top-level player. It doesn’t matter if I am going to play or not, I am always ready for the team."
18:32 GMT
Henrikh: Don't write us off
Responding to a question about United potentially identifying the Europa League as the best route into next season’s Champions League, Mkhitaryan said: “We didn't give up yet on the Premier League. So we're not saying we're out of the competition. We are still in the competition, there are a lot of games to go, so we are trying to do our best to be in the top four. And of course, in the Europa League we are also going to try to go as far as we can.”
18:27 GMT
Thoughts on Ukrainian football
Asked for his opinion on the Ukrainian Premier League and how difficult tomorrow night’s game might be, Henrikh told reporters: “I look at [follow] the championship in Ukraine but the level is much more lower. It's a pity but occasionally this happens. Tomorrow's game is difficult because of the weather conditions, because of the difficult play but I think we will do our best.”
18:24 GMT
Micki with the media
Henrikh Mkhitaryan sat down in front of the media following the manager and the Armenian began his press conference by discussing his time playing in Ukraine with Shakhtar Donetsk. “It's always a pleasure to be here in Ukraine,” he said. “I have very good memories of playing here. I had four amazing years playing in Ukraine and I can say in my last game in Odessa was a very good one because I scored my first hat-trick ever for Shakhtar so I can say that I am pleased to be here again.”
Mkhitaryan next up!
Away form in Europa League
To conclude his press conference, Mourinho said: "We lost to Feyenoord, a game that we should win. The team played well, the team had the game always under control and when the team was pushing to win, we lost. Against Fenerbahce, another difficult place to go, we conceded a goal in the first minute which gave the home team the best conditions to win. If you want to qualify we cannot lose three matches away. We need points tomorrow."
More from Mourinho
Asked by one journalist if he will leave some players out after seeing the pitch, the manager said: "The players I had to leave out to protect, I left them in Manchester. The ones that I brought, I brought them to play and not to protect them."
18:03 GMT
Learning from each other
On the subject of Verbydub learning from him, the boss continued: "He learns with me the same as I learn with him. I learn every game. I try to learn every game. So when I play against a team I try to study the team, I try to read the game during the game, to read the game after the game which is easier. And I try always to learn with my colleagues so if tomorrow I have the chance to learn with him, I want to do so."
Praise from the Zorya boss
When told that Zorya's Verbydub called him the "best manager in the world", Jose said: "He was nice by saying that but I don't think he is right. I don't think there is a best coach in the world. It doesn't exist in my opinion. Every season one has to win the FIFA Gold Ball but I don't think there is the best. You can say the best of the year and that I agree. Every year there is one with the most important result. So he is just being nice, no more than that."
How was your flight?
Quizzed on United's flight from Manchester and the conditions in Odessa, the manager said: “The flight was good, thank you. The hotel is good, the stadium is good, the pitch is bad, but it is very cold and I know that it is difficult to have a better pitch. The most important competition is always the next match, so today, I say the most important competition is the Europa League and tomorrow, I will say the most important competition is the Premier League.”
Jose on the Europa League
Mourinho: “We are going in the same direction. We assumed from the beginning that this is an important competition for us. It is difficult because we play Thursday and then Sunday. We are never given a Monday match to have one more day to rest and prepare. It is difficult to play together. But we want to try to win it and while we are in the competition will try to win it. We want to go as far as possible, step by step. The first step is to qualify from a very difficult group.”
Start of press conference
The manager began his press conference by discussing what he expects to be a tricky game on Thursday. "The first game was difficult for us and it was also very difficult for Zorya. I thikn tomorrow is more of the same. We know this is a crucial match for us. If we lose then we can be out, and we don't want that. Zorya are out but they have a match to play. I believe they will try to win."
Micki to meet the media
Henrikh Mkhitaryan will also be holding a press conference and that should be good news for the assembled local media, as Micki speaks the language after his spell at Shakhtar Donetsk.
Sub-zero in Odessa
I thought it was cold in Midtjylland last season but Odessa is on another level. Hats, coats and gloves will be the order of the day come kick-off tomorrow. I'm now sat in the warmth of a busy press conference room inside the stadium, awaiting Jose Mourinho. We'll have updates from around 16:30 GMT. (James Tuck)
Check out the view
MUTV's Stewart Gardner captured this impressive panoramic photo of the stadium, where a third of the pitch is under cover, with hot air being blown underneath to defrost the pitch. .
The opposition view
Zorya manager Yuriy Vernydub, whose team have already been eliminated from Group A, has been speaking to the media this afternoon and he is optimistic about the hosts' chances. “Man United need these points but I think we can make history at our football club,” he said. “Of course we lost our first game with Man United but... I think our chances for this game is very good.”
Away day for Crolla
Manchester boxer and former world lightweight champion Anthony Crolla has travelled to Ukraine to watch the Reds in action. Here he is pictured with fellow Reds supporter Kieran Elliot (@Kieran9908 on Instagram), who had his picture taken with the fighter in a Odessa bar earlier today. Check out his post...
The state of play
Check out our guide to the Group A standings and what is required for United to top the group and qualify for Monday's draw.
Arrival in Ukraine
Our flight from Manchester has landed at Odessa International Airport. Remember, the boss will hold a pre-match press conference at Chornomerets Stadium later today, before the Reds train in front of the media. You can follow updates from both events in this blog.
Flying to Odessa
Global kick-off times
Where are you watching the match on Thursday? Find out exactly it kicks off in your time zone via the graphic below...
Press view of Odessa
Many members of the football media have already arrived in Odessa, ready to report on this evening’s pre-match press conference and training session at Chornomorets Stadium. Simon Peach of the Press Association is one of the journalists who have completed the journey and he’s reported the chilly conditions in the city centre via his Twitter account.
Committed fans en route
United braced for big freeze
It's been cold in Manchester recently but we're expecting sub-zero temperatures in Odessa. However, as Anthony Martial told MUTV: "It’s down to us to come to terms with that, adapt to the environment we find ourselves in and get the victory we need."
Reds can expect a tough game
Petro Chymera, who writes for UK-based Ukrainian football blog DonetskWay, says of Thursday's game: “United are heavy favourites but Zorya put up a spirited performance in the match at Old Trafford and can consider themselves unlucky to have lost. Yuriy Vernydub has his team well organised and hard to break down so United shouldn’t expect to blow them away.”
Odessa: Ukraine's football heart
Jajecznyk says: "The historic port city of Odessa has a prestigious history, having been a major industrial trading hub for the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union and in present-day Ukraine. Football arrived in Ukraine after British sailors taught locals how to play while on shore leave in the city." It's a bustling, multi-cultural city and United's travelling fans will likely converge on the central district, focused around Deribasivskaya Street.
Zorya's real home
The Avanhard Stadium was hit by mortars and shells only days after Zorya left - these pics show some of the damage. Stefan Jajecznyk, a British journalist with Ukrainian heritage, pointed out to us that the 1,200-mile round trip for Zorya's fans to Odessa is the equivalent of United playing their home games in Luxembourg.
So, why Odessa?
Zorya were forced to leave their Avanhard Stadium home in 2014, as a result of Luhansk being located within the war-torn Donbass region. They now play their domestic home games 300 miles west at the 12,000-capacity Slavutych Arena in Zaporizhia. But as that stadium doesn't meet UEFA requirements, they've had to travel even further afield for their Europa League ties this season – to Chornomorets Stadium in Odessa, on the other side of the country.
Reds depart Manchester Airport
Confirmed travelling squad
We can exclusively reveal that Jose Mourinho is taking 19 players to Ukraine for the match against Zorya. Check out the travelling squad in the graphic below...
More on the squad
Antonio Valencia, Matteo Darmian and Michael Carrick all started against Everton on Sunday, but the trio of Reds have not been included in the squad for this Europa League trip – the manager may explain why later today in his press conference and MUTV interview. Meanwhile, injured defenders Luke Shaw and Chris Smalling have remained at home, with midfielders Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger (ineligible) and Memphis.
Rooney to return?
Wayne Rooney, who became the club's highest scorer in Europe in the last Europa League match against Feyenoord (see below), is available again after serving a domestic suspension.
Last time against Zorya
This was the scoreline in our first and only ever meeting with Zorya Luhansk, which took place on 29 September at Old Trafford. The Ukrainians proved to be stubborn opposition on the night, but a Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal was enough to seal an important win for the Reds.
Reds just need a point
As you may already know, United's 4-0 win over Feyenoord two weeks ago at Old Trafford means the Reds need just a point on Thursday to ensure qualification for the Round of 32. And if we better Fenerbahce's result, we'll finish top of Group A meaning we will be seeded in Monday's draw.
Group A so far
This is what Group A looks like at the moment. Both of the final Group A games - Zorya v United and Feyenoord v Fenerbahce - will kick off at the same time, at 18:00 GMT on Thursday.
Live: United travel to Ukraine
Hello and welcome to our live blog for United's trip to Ukraine in the Europa League. My name is Gemma Thompson and I, along with my colleague James Tuck, will fly out to Odessa with the Reds on the official team plane this morning. As ever, we will provide rolling updates, imagery and exclusive insight throughout the trip to eastern Europe, so stick with us.
No comments:
Post a Comment