Manchester United v Basel – United kick off their Champions League campaign

Domestically, Basel have been slightly off the pace early on this season, they slumped to a 2-1 home defeat to Lausanne at the weekend, they come to Old Trafford as firm underdogs. More confidence from a great six-match campaign can affect Man United positively during December and January.

It started with Ander Herrera on Saturday night, in the howling wind outside the exit of the Bet365 Stadium. Not a fixture to exactly whet the appetite.

The Mancuanians’ manager Jose Mourinho noted ahead of the game that he felt weaker without Marouane Fellaini in the squad.

Manchester United are back in the Champions League for the first time since 2015 after winning the Europa League last season. “To win the Champions League, we know, is really hard, but I think our team is now is really good“.

“The only thing I can say is that Real Madrid a year ago played the last month in La Liga with the second team”, he said.

This will be the fifth game between Manchester United and Basel, all in the Champions League. They have made it past the Last 16 only once, it was in 2015/16 when they reached the semi-finals (knocked out by Real Madrid). Meanwhile, their city rivals will play Basel, Benfica and CSKA Moscow in the group games.

“Just to hear [the anthem] again kind of pushed me on to give the best”.

In his latest entry, the Spanish star looks forward to returning to Champions League football…

Only Liverpool (5) have won more European Cup/Champions League titles than Manchester Utd (3) among English clubs. I’ve already played against them in the past and I suffered their carefree, offensive football style.

“Apart from that, there are many teams in the Champions League that are very similar to teams in the Europa League“. It’s nearly two years without a Champions League game at home.

“And then there is the fact that we have to play many times two days before the big matches in Europe and then other countries protect their clubs”.

Back-to-back victories over Chelsea in the Champions League group stage in 2013. As a player, he featured in four games with Hamburg in 2006/07, losing all of them.

The game at Old Trafford is United’s first appearance in the Champions League since the 2015/16 season when they were eliminated at the Group Stage under former manager Louis Van Gaal, according to the Independent. Also, there was a 4-3-3 transforming into a 4-2-3-1 against Stoke.