Manchester United travel away to Braga for their next Champions League match looking for a win which would seal their place in the last 16.
Here are five key battles to watch during the match.
Paulo Vinicius v Robin Van Persie
Paul Vinicius will have to be very disciplined if he is going to keep Robin Van Persie quiet. Van Persie has been prolific since he joined United and he will stick to both central defenders like glue. The thing Vinicius has to resist is being pulled about like a rag doll because Van Persie will make a number of runs designed to disrupt any organisation in the Braga defence.
Elderson v Wayne Rooney
Elderson is another key defender in the Braga defence and he will be tasked with coping with the physical presence of Wayne Rooney. Rooney is likely to play slightly deeper as United are away from home so Elderson has to look for the runs from midfield. The reason this will be a physical battle is because Elderson will also have to compete with the stocky Rooney at set pieces. If he can out-battle him then Braga stand a great chance of a win.
Custodio v Tom Cleverley
Custodio was booked in the reverse fixture of this game for the way he can be a little over enthusiastic in a tackle every now and then. However, this is something he will have to show regularly if he wants to keep Tom Cleverley off the ball. Cleverley is playing the Shinji Kagawa role in the side while the Japanese star is injured. Cleverley is always on the move, always looking for the ball and always providing an outlet. If Custodio can keep him from doing this effectively then United could struggle filtering the ball through the midfield.
Hugo Viana v Rafael
Hugo Viana has a lot of success in the first game between these sides when he battled Rafael down the right hand side of the United team. Viana was able to supply a constant supply of crosses into the box which Braga capitalised on. Rafael has to be more defensively disciplined and force Viana down to the corner flag where it will be more difficult for him to whip the ball in with a lot of pace.
Alan v Jonny Evans
Alan showed in the match at Old Trafford that he is in good form and is not intimidated by playing Manchester United. Jonny Evans could well be the key figure in the United defence as Rio Ferdinand may be rested by Sir Alex Ferguson. Evans has to be more effective in spotting the runs from Alan, staying the right side of him and also being more powerful than him throughout the game.
image: © andyjakeman
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