Arsenal, league leaders, are looking to bring their local brilliance to the continental arena when they face their guest Bodu Glimt of Norway on Thursday in the third round of the European Football League, while compatriot Manchester United want to forget the six-way derby against his neighbor City as he heads to the Cypriot capital to face Omonia Nicosia.
Arsenal have made a solid start to the Premier League this season, a point clear of defending champions City after seven wins and only one loss.
The London club enter Bodu Glimt excited with their 3-1 victory over their neighbor and north London rivals Tottenham last Saturday to stay alone in the lead.
Spanish coach Mikel Arteta’s side kicked off their continental campaign with a 2-1 win over Zurich in Switzerland, and its second round match against Dutch guest Eindhoven was postponed in mid-September due to a severe shortage of police resources in London and organizational issues related to national mourning for Queen Elizabeth II.
The European Football Association (UEFA) has scheduled the match for October 20.
Arsenal understand that meeting the group leader Bodo Glimt (4 points) will not be easy prey after the Norwegian team snatched a draw from PSV Eindhoven in the first round before beating their guest Zurich.
Arteta is expected to rest some of his key players and play for a semi-alternative team, especially as he faces a shaken Liverpool at home on Sunday in league competition.
Team up to restore trust
For their part, Manchester United are approaching the match in Cyprus in a subdued mood after Sunday’s 6-3 defeat at the Etihad Stadium against neighboring City with a trio of young Norwegians Erling Halland and Phil Foden.
After a disastrous local start to the season after two consecutive defeats, the Red Devils, led by their new Dutch coach Erik Ten Hag, managed to rise to four consecutive victories, including against Liverpool and Arsenal, before suffering a humiliating defeat. loss to City.
The sixth-placed Premier League is looking to restore morale against a modest side and continue its continental awakening after losing at home against Real Sociedad in Spain before beating Sheriff Tiraspol in Moldova in the second round.
And Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo’s misery continues after he came back to the bench in an important league match this season – as happened in two wins over Arsenal and Liverpool – and Ten Hag justified not using him in second half after United fell behind. 4-0 before the break, saying it was “out of respect for his great career”.
Ronaldo is expected to participate mainly in the first two matches of the continental championship, knowing that he scored his only goal this season from a penalty during the victory over Sheriff in the previous round. It is also possible that France’s Anthony Martial will start after his return after being out from the start of the season due to injury and coming on as a substitute against City after scoring the last two goals.
Real Sociedad lead Group E with six points ahead of Sheriff and United (3), while Omonia sit in last place without a loan knowing the Spanish team is in Moldova on Thursday.
The match between Roma and their Spanish guest Real Betis holds a special place in the third group tournament, and the Italian capital team is aware of the importance of defeating the leaders.
The Andalusian team won the first two matches against HJK Helsinki and Ludogorets, while Roma lost to the Bulgarian team in their debut and beat their Finnish guest in the second.
Betis start the season strong as they are fourth in La Liga, four points behind leaders Real Madrid and Barcelona and one point behind third-placed Athletic Bilbao.
As for Rome, although they are sixth in Serie A, they are only four points behind leaders Napoli and Atalanta and come into the match in awe of a precious victory over Inter in the latter’s backyard in Milan 2:1 over the weekend.
In other highlights, Lazio, fourth in the Italian league, will face Sturm Graz in Austria in Group F. Monaco will host France’s Monaco in the Turkish emirate Trabzonspor in the eighth, while Ukraine’s Dynamo Kyiv will win “Rennes” in group F. second.
