Young Boys v Manchester United: Champions League – live! | Football

5 mins: Fernandes prods a through ball on towards Sancho, but it runs through to the keeper. It looks like Pogba is on the left of midfield, with Van de Beek joining Fred in the centre.

3 mins: Oof! An early chance for the hosts as Sancho loses the ball in midfield. Meschack Elia gets Lindelöf isolated, twists and turns but drags a tricky shot beyond De Gea’s far post.

2 mins: The hosts are in black and yellow halves, while United wear their blue and white, early-90s-tinged away kit.

Both sets of players take a knee, met by applause from all sides of the ground. The referee, France’s François Letexier, then gets us under way.

The players are out and lined up for the Champions League anthem, which is partly obscured by another tune leaking through the PA. The Uefa suits will be livid. Behind the teams, the home fans form a snazzy wall of black and gold.

Here’s Ole Gunnar Solskjær: “We had a good day, a professional day [on Saturday] but this is a new game. Coming from Norway, I’m used to the astroturf – the players have trained on it, I’ve got no complaints.”

On Van de Beek, he says: “We know what he’s capable of, he’s been working really hard over the summer. He’s stronger, fitter and we’re looking forward to seeing him in action.”

As if this wasn’t a tough enough assignment for the hosts, they are without a number of injured players including their captain, Fabian Lustenberger, and last season’s Swiss league top scorer, Jean-Pierre Nsame.

In Nsame’s absence, his Cameroon compatriot Moumi Ngameleu and DR Congo forward Meschak Elia will carry the goal threat, while winger Christian Fassnacht featured in Switzerland’s impressive Euro 2020 campaign.

United fans might recognise one name on the Young Boys bench – midfielder Alex Jankewitz, who was sent off after two minutes for Southampton as they lost 9-0 at Old Trafford in February.

Here’s today’s Fiver, on Big Cup and DJ Snake:

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Previously: United began their Champions League campaign on the artificial turf here back in 2018, when Paul Pogba scored twice in a 3-0 win. They finished second in the group, shocked PSG in the last-16 and then were well beaten by Barça in the quarters. Young Boys finished bottom of Group H but earned a memorable home win over … Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus. Him again!

Young Boys (4-2-3-1): Von Ballmoos (c); Hefti, Camara, Lauper, García; Sierro, Martins Pereira; Fassnacht, Aebischer, Ngamaleu; Elia.

Subs: Zbinden, Faivre, Zesiger, Spielmann, Kanga, Sulejmani, Jankewitz, Bürgy, Siebatcheu, Mambimbi, Maceiras, Rieder.

Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Wan Bissaka, Lindelöf, Maguire (c), Shaw; Fred, Van de Beek; Sancho, Bruno Fernandes, Pogba; Ronaldo.

Subs: Heaton, Kovar, Bailly, Dalot, Varane, Mata, Matic, Lingard, Elanga, Greenwood, Martial.

The Manchester United team is in! Ronaldo starts in what looks like a 4-2-3-1, with Donny Van de Beek getting a shot in midfield – that will likely mean that Paul Pogba moves to the left, alongside Fernandes and Sancho. Victor Lindelöf starts in central defence, with Raphaël Varane on the bench. Team news for the hosts to follow …

Cristiano Ronaldo’s last Champions League appearance for Manchester United may still haunt him to this day. It was the 2009 final, when Lionel Messi and Barcelona wrestled the trophy away, completing the tiki-taka takeover and clearing the path for his inevitable exit to Real Madrid. Ronaldo won four European Cups in Spain, but his interminable battle with Messi for individual supremacy goes on.

Ronaldo starts tonight and moves level with Iker Casillas as the Champions League’s top appearance-maker, another individual bauble successfully pocketed. United lost another final to Barça in 2011, but haven’t been past the quarter-finals since. With Ronaldo back and their squad reinforced, this is a rare season where a run to the latter stages feels like a realistic target.

The long road to St Petersburg starts here against Young Boys, the Group F outsiders who won the Swiss league by 31 points last season. They also lost manager Gerardo Seoane to Leverkusen, replaced by a familiar face to English audiences in David Wagner. The former Huddersfield manager has form when it comes to upsetting United, who have not always enjoyed their trips to Switzerland.

Ronaldo’s time at Juventus was judged on their Champions League failings, so his return to Old Trafford automatically raises the bar – now United must avoid clattering into it. With the always dangerous Atalanta and Europa League conquerors Villarreal also in the group, United will be keen to make a strident start. Kick-off at the Wankdorf Stadium (no giggling at the back) is at 6.45pm local, 5.45pm BST.