Manchester United v Real Sociedad: Free Tips, Prediction and Odds

Manchester United are still the only side in this season's UEFA Europa League who are yet to lose a game and will need to extend that record against Real Sociedad if they want to reach the quarter-finals.

United played well by their underwhelming standards in San Sebastian last Thursday where a 1-1 draw gives them a slight edge going into the return leg at Old Trafford.

Manchester United v Real Sociedad free betting tips and predictions

Andre Onana Over 2.5 Saves - 5/6

Manchester United's performances in the UEFA Europa League are salvaging the sorriest of seasons and they will need another big effort against mid-division Spaniards Real Sociedad to make it into the last eight.

They are just about in the box seat after last week's 1-1 draw at the Anoeta Stadium, but anyone who has seen United this season knows how poor they can be when the mood takes them.

Ruben Amorim's men have won only two of their last eight matches in all competitions, haven't kept a clean sheet in any of those, and are hard to trust at odds-on whoever they are playing.

They will be buoyed by a UEFA Europa League record which reads played nine, won five, drawn four with home wins in each of their last three continental fixtures at Old Trafford against PAOK (2-0), Bodo/Glimt (3-2) and Rangers (2-1).

Amorim is still hindered by injuries and a group who are struggling to follow his 3-4-3 ideology.

But they should be encouraged by Sunday's 1-1 draw against Arsenal even if they were second best for most of the game, especially as Sociedad aren't in the Gunners' class.

Top-six contenders in many recent campaigns, La Real are currently 11th in La Liga and without a win in their last four, though two of those games were against Real Madrid (in the Copa) and Barcelona.

Before that run they had won five of their previous six including both legs against Midtjylland in the Play-off Round, winning 2-1 in Denmark and 5-2 at home.

That they scored seven goals in two games was something of a surprise given that only bottom club Valladolid have found the net less times than La Real in La Liga this season.

Coach Imanol has to think long and hard about how to approach the second leg with the tie so finely balanced but he only has to watch some videos to realise how porous United are defensively.

La Real didn't take advantage of that in the first leg when they managed only 13 shots, forcing Andre Onana into only two saves.

Onana has been a lot busier in other games in Europe this term (and even busier in the Premier League) and is averaging 2.9 saves per game.

United are a million miles from full-strength defensively with the likes of Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw still missing and Leny Yoro a major doubt. And whoever Amorim perms in his back three, they often appear disjointed.

La Real can take advantage with Mikel Oyarzabal - scorer in the first leg and their top shot-taker with 21 in Europe - leading a line which can force Onana into at least three saves.

Bruno Fernandes Over 1.5 Shots on Target - 12/5

Among the reasons why United make unconvincing odds-on shots is because of question marks over their forwards.

Amad Diallo is out and while Alejandro Garnacho is exciting with the ball at his feet, he lacks composure in front of goal.

Rasmus Hojlund is going through a terrible time without a goal since the middle of December and Joshua Zirkzee's goal in San Sebastian was a rare highlight in an otherwise trying first few months in Manchester.

There is little doubt that their likeliest route to goal is via Bruno Fernandes as demonstrated again at the weekend with a sublime free-kick to open the scoring in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal.

That's three in his last five and 12 for the season for the Portuguese conductor, who has fired off 23 shots at almost three per game in the UEFA Europa League.

In a game where United will have to be positive, take Fernandes, their deadball exponent, at 12/5 to have over 1.5 efforts on target.

Manchester United Over 2.5 Cards - 6/4

French referee Benoit Bastien takes charge at Old Trafford and with a reputation as a stickler in a game stacked full of jeopardy, expect a fair few cards.

Bastien averages 4.6 cards per game this season and United are the fifth worst behaved side in the Premier League with 65 cards (62 yellow, 3 red) in 28 matches.

They have had only 14 cards in eight European games but now comes the pressure and they can be expected to rack up at least three in a pressure-cooker atmosphere.

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Manchester United v Real Sociedad odds

Manchester United - 17/20
Draw - 23/10
Real Sociedad - 15/4

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.