Option 1: Back to 4-2-3-1 with number of changes from Sunday
Considering that the 4-4-2 diamond formation flopped against a defensive Arsenal side on Sunday, there’s no point playing it against Istanbul Basaksehir – who will be even more defensive. Man United can revert back to their normal formation but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be looking at changes.
Donny van de Beek deserves another start in the Champions League after his recent impressive work and he’s perfectly built to thrive in this kind of situations. With Juan Mata and Marcus Rashford beside him, VDB can create up a storm. Anthony Martial should also come back in. Also expect a UCL debut for Dean Henderson – whom OGS has hinted at playing.
Option 2: Play both Bruno and Van de Beek together
Bruno Fernandes and Van de Beek haven’t started a game together for United yet, but there’s no reason why they can’t play together. Due to Istanbul’s frail attacking threat, Ole could risk starting them both in a 4-3-3 formation. The prospect of creative players like Bruno, VDB AND Mata together could help create some beautiful stuff.
Edinson Cavani should also get his full United debut against Istanbul, while Luke Shaw could get a rest for Brandon Williams. This formation would be quite attack-minded but considering our position in the group, we could take a few more risks with an all-out attack style.
