The Citizen (KZN)

Europa point will do it for United

- Paris

– Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United face Zorya Luhansk tonight knowing that a draw in the frigid Ukraine will propel them into the knockout stages of the Europa League.

The Premier League side however will want to go through in style with victory, even if Europe’s second-tier competitio­n does not feature at the top of their priorities in Mourinho’s first season in charge.

The Old Trafford side will also be eager to end a bout of frustratin­g draws, the latest being a 1-1 stalemate at Everton at the weekend when Mourinho’s men conceded an 89th-minute equaliser from the spot.

The Zorya match – tonight is the last phase of Europa League group games – will take place in Odessa a four-hour flight from northern England and where temperatur­es will hover around freezing by evening kick-off.

Zorya might already be out of the competitio­n, but United’s French forward Anthony Martial (left) is not expecting the Ukrainians just to lie down.

“It is very different, not just the supporters but the weather. Over there, it’s really cold at this time of the season,” Martial told MUTV.

Fellow Premier League representa­tives Southampto­n face Hapoel Beer-Sheva at St Mary’s Stadium knowing that victory or a 0-0 draw will put them in the last32, where eight clubs who failed to progress from the Champions League will enter the fray. – AFP

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