MU's trauma from being stung by "the bee"

Beautiful pause. It's always nice to win before the international break.

MU had the upper hand before the international break. They beat eternal rivals Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals. At the same time, two top four competitors, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur, stumbled in week 29. The team coached by Manager Erik ten Hag has once again rekindled its hopes of qualifying for the Champions League next season.

"A beautiful break. It's always enjoyable to win before the international break. The players have left for their respective countries' duties and have now returned. They have resumed the process with us since yesterday. The preparation may have been short, but we are ready for the next match," said Ten Hag.

Also read: Manchester United's Eleven Crucial Weeks

However, the "Red Devils" should be wary. The visit to Brentford headquarters, in the continuation of the Premier League, Sunday (31/3/2024) early morning WIB, has the potential to be an anticlimax. Liverpool is indeed far superior in all aspects than Brentford. However, MU might prefer to meet Liverpool who are so confident with a high defensive line.

Not without reason, MU always has difficulty when facing Brentford. They need a miracle from midfielder Scott McTominay to turn things around in injury time at Old Trafford Stadium, October 2022. The last time they visited Gtech, they were defeated 0-4 which also marked the first crisis of the Ten Hag regime.

Brentford, under Manager Thomas Frank, is known for being very pragmatic. Especially when facing big teams like MU. They only have an average of 44.4 percent ball possession, but produce the second most long passes in the league, 61 times. The Bees are more speculative, unwilling to build attacks from the back with high risks.

Also read: Garnacho's Light on Manchester United's Ugly Face

Incidentally, MU is also not a team that enjoys dominating the game. Their ball possession is only 50.1 percent, just slightly better than the mediocre team Fulham (49.7 percent). However, against Brentford, who were more passive, they had no choice but to control the ball longer to build attacks.

Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford, two MU wing attackers, could throw a party due to the abundance of space in Liverpool's defense. The Red Devils, which is the team with the most direct attacks (72), can rely on transitions. However, such situations will not be repeated versus Brentford.

Brentford uses a 3-5-2 formation which can change to five parallel defenders when defending. The distance between players is very close when they are already playing with low blocks. The coordination of Ivan Toney and his colleagues was like waves following the direction of the wind, moving compactly to adapt to the opponent's attacks.

The Red Devils are favored to win, but they must play efficiently in front of the opponent's goal. According to Opta, MU is the team with the worst expected goal difference of the top 10 ranked teams (-3.02). Striker Rasmus Hojlund who scored 7 goals in the last 7 matches in the league will be the focus.

Also read: Spurs' Leap and Manchester United's Hopes from Villa Park

MU will also rely on McTominay again, a hero in the previous meeting. With a tall and big body, his presence in the penalty box can disrupt Brentford's well-organized defense formation. This was proven when McTominay scored a pair of goals after being substituted in the 87th minute.

Apart from that, MU's mainstay central defender, Lisandro Martinez, has recovered from injury. According to Ten Hag, the player's return will be the key to continuing the positive trend, including at home to the Bee. The defender from Argentina is not only skilled at protecting the defense, but is also crucial when MU builds attacks from below.

"We really miss Martinez in every game because he brings calmness to the team. At the same time, he always expresses a winning attitude. He can transmit that energy to all team members and it really helps us to reach our best level," explained Ten Hag.

On the other hand, Brentford welcomes their upcoming match with doubled motivation to break out from their six-game winless streak, where they have lost five of those games. They need a win as they are only five points away from the relegation zone. According to Frank, the support of the fans will make a difference, just like in last season's encounter.

"This is very, very important. We must do it together, especially if the situation does not go according to our wishes in the upcoming match. I dare to promise that the players will fight and run throughout the game. In a very difficult situation like this, we need help from all parties (the players and supporters)," he said. (AP/REUTERS)