Manchester United vs. Anderlecht: Live Stream, TV Info for Europa League 2017
Manchester United will look to cash in on the away goal they scored last week in Belgium when they face RSC Anderlecht in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter-final tie at Old Trafford on Thursday.
The Red Devils have the advantage at 1-1 in the tie thanks to Henrikh Mkhitaryan's away goal last Thursday. The Armenia international is one of three main stars United manager Jose Mourinho is likely to reinstall in the starting XI after resting key players for the 2-0 win over Premier League leaders Chelsea on Sunday.
Before a preview and a look at the team news, here are the schedule and viewing details:
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Date: Thursday, April 20
Time: 8:05 p.m. BST. 3:05 p.m. ET
TV Info: BT Sport 2. Fox Sports 1.
Live Stream: BT Sport App. Fox Soccer 2Go.
Preview
Mourinho revealed why he left top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic on the bench against Chelsea, per George Boulton of The Sun: "He's tired—very tired."
Despite his fatigue, Ibrahimovic did come on against the Blues. Still, the 35-year-old striker is fresher for the return with Anderlecht than United's other attackers.
The partnership between Ibrahimovic and Mkhitaryan should be enough to overwhelm an Anderlecht defence which has been far from stingy in the Europa League, with the Jupiler League club conceding 12 times in the competition, per the tournament's official website.
Frankly, the onus will be on Ibrahimovic to deliver, because Mourinho was far from happy with his strikers after United failed to turn their superiority into more goals in the first leg.
Rob Dawson of the Manchester Evening News relayed the manager's pointed criticism:
It would help Ibrahimovic and Co. if Mourinho gave a start to 35-year-old pass-master Michael Carrick, who was a second-half substitute against Chelsea. The midfielder still has the passing range and quality to create chances for United's inconsistent strikers.
Speaking of strikers, Anderlecht fans would no doubt love to see leading scorer Lukasz Teodorczyk start. The Poland goal-getter was only deemed fit enough for the bench as he dealt with a shoulder injury in the first leg.
The 25-year-old came on in the 75th minute, but Anderlecht need goals in Manchester, so the forward has to figure from the start.
If he does start, Teodorczyk will need quality supply to help him punish United. Fortunately, 19-year-old playmaker Youri Tielemans can provide it.
Tielemans has even emerged as a potential transfer target for United and domestic rivals Chelsea, according to Paul Brown of the Daily Express. If the Belgium international runs the show at Old Trafford, more of the game's biggest clubs will surely take notice.
Anderlecht are still in with a chance to produce a shock, but United may need to win this competition to reach next season's UEFA Champions League. The Reds are one place outside the top four in England's top flight, but they are just two points behind local rivals Manchester City with a game in hand.
BBC Sport's Simon Stone believes booking a return to the Champions League will define United's summer:
Mourinho's squad is easily the strongest left in the Europa League, so it would be a major surprise if United don't get past Anderlecht en route to ultimately winning the trophy.
