The video will auto-play soon 8 Cancel Who do United need to sign to mount a title challenge? Get our daily Manchester United email newsletter Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign me up! Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Two of Europe's genuine giants will lock horns at Old Trafford tonight when Manchester United take on Juventus in the Champions League. The pair occupy the top two spots in Champions League Group H with the Bianconeri winning each of their first two games against Valencia and Young Boys. United beat the Swiss side but could only manage a point against Valencia last time out to leave them second in the group. Tonight's match marks Cristiano Ronaldo's second return to Old Trafford since leaving for Real Madrid in 2009. (Image: Man Utd via Getty Images) Jose Mourinho is likely to stick with the majority of his players who earned a 2-2 draw at Chelsea at the weekend, with only Ross Barkley's last-gasp strike denying them all three points after Anthony Martial's two-goal salvo. But he could recall Ander Herrera in place of Marcus Rashford to give his side a more solid base against the Bianconeri. (Image: AFP/Getty Images) Predicted line-ups Manchester United: De Gea, Young, Smalling, Lindelof, Shaw, Matic, Pogba, Herrera, Mata, Martial, Lukaku Juventus: Szczesny, Cancelo, Bonucci, Chiellini, Sandro, Bentancur, Pjanic, Matuidi, Dybala, Ronaldo, Costa Referee: Milorad Mazic (Serbia) Head to head: Manchester United 5, Juventus 5, Drawn 2 Odds: Manchester United 21/10, Juventus 6/4, Draw 23/10 (courtesy of Betfair)<doc-sep>Get the latest United updates, transfer news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox every day for free Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Manchester United will be looking to produce another encouraging performance when they welcome Juventus to Old Trafford in the Champions League on Tuesday. Jose Mourinho's United side currently occupy second-place in Group H and are in need of a positive result as they look to strengthen their hopes of qualification to the knockout stages. United have won their last three meetings with Juventus in all competitions but this will be the first competitive meeting between the two sides since the second group stage of the 2002-03 Champions League campaign. In terms of early team news, Mourinho has revealed Alexis Sanchez will miss the match while Marouane Fellaini and Scott McTominay are also expected to be out. Here's how our writers think the team should line up. Samuel Luckhurst The front six has to be the same as the one at Chelsea. Juventus sometimes play two holding midfielders. Paul Pogba cowed Jorginho in the second-half at Stamford Bridge and once Juan Mata got a foothold in the game the Italian midfielder had little room to manoeuvre. Victor Lindelof was United's poorest performer on Saturday and Eric Bailly is easily the better defender. That would be the only change from what was an excellent 45 minutes in a draw that ought to have been a win for United. The challenge this week is to perform positively over 90 minutes. Line up: De Gea, Young, Smalling, Bailly, Shaw, Matic, Pogba, Mata, Martial, Rashford, Lukaku. Ciaran Kelly If it ain't broke, why fix it? There was a lot to like about United's second-half performances against Newcastle and Chelsea and using Juan Mata in a No.10 role, and giving Anthony Martial an extended run on the left wing, will be key going forward. For too long now, Jose Mourinho has chopped and changed at will in an effort to strike upon a winning formula but sticking with the same XI would send the right message at a time when United need continued stability. The challenge now is starting a game with the same intensity they manage after half-time. Charlotte Duncker United need to set up against Juventus in the same way they did against Chelsea. The front four are quick enough to cause damage, as was shown on Saturday, but by playing with three infront of Pogba and Matic it can act as a defensive shield as well. Mata excelled in the No 10 role and should start again there but he's also able to drop back and help out Pogba and Matic when United need more numbers at the back. The only other debate would be at centre back and Mourinho needs to stick with his duo of Lindelof and Smalling to help them get some confidence and consistency as a pair. Now pick the team you want to see start.<doc-sep>Sports Mole looks ahead to Tuesday night's Champions League Group H clash between Manchester United and Juventus, including team news, predicted XIs and a full preview. Cristiano Ronaldo will return to Old Trafford as the starring sub-plot of a mouth-watering Champions League clash between Manchester United and Juventus on Tuesday night. Juve lead the way in Group H with two wins from two, whereas United are two points further back after drawing with Valencia in their last European outing. Man Utd © Reuters The picture to the right could act as an accurate illustration for a number of things. How close was Jose Mourinho to being sacked as United boss? How close was he to pulling off a hugely impressive win at the home of his former club on Saturday? How close was he to the end of his tether when Chelsea coach Marco Ianni taunted him after the last-gasp equaliser at Stamford Bridge? Few could begrudge Mourinho's angry reaction to the unsportsmanship shown by the Chelsea bench - even if he has been guilty of it himself on a number of occasions in his career - as Ross Barkley's 96th-minute equaliser could make a huge difference to United's season. Seconds away from winning back-to-back matches and climbing up to eighth in the table, United have now instead won just one of their last six outings and sit 10th - already nine points adrift of leaders Manchester City and Liverpool. One thing that the last two results have shown is that the players are still willing to fight for their manager, though, with stirring second-half comebacks against Newcastle United and then Chelsea either side of the international break. Of course, giving teams that initial advantage by putting in a poor first-half performance is something United still need to stamp out of their game, but one of the most damning conclusions from previous matches this season was the lack of fight and urgency from the players - a criticism that certainly cannot be levelled at them from the past two outings. There is still plenty to sort out for Mourinho, though, and the visit of an in-form Juventus side is perhaps something he didn't need considering that his side have kept just three clean sheets in their 13 matches this season. Two of those clean sheets have come from their two Champions League outings, though, making them one of only four teams yet to concede a goal in this season's competition. Juventus are another one of those, so United will need a vast improvement from their dour goalless draw against Valencia in their previous home game in the group stages - one of four matches the Red Devils have failed to win from six outings in front of their own fans across all competitions this season. United have only lost one of their last 22 European matches at Old Trafford, though, a run which stretches back to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid in 2012-13 when Ronaldo scored the winner for Los Blancos. Recent Champions League form: WD Recent form (all competitions): DLLDWD Juventus © Reuters The return of Ronaldo will dominate all of the headlines in the buildup to this match, but it is something which looked in serious doubt at one stage. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was shown a straight red card in Juve's Champions League opener against Valencia, but a disciplinary panel limited the suspension to one match, making him available for the double-header against his former club. Ronaldo has scored a staggering 455 goals in 448 appearances across all competitions since leaving Old Trafford, and while European giants such as United and Real Madrid are floundering post-Ronaldo, Juventus have only gone from strength to strength since his arrival. Already on an unprecedented run of seven successive Scudettos, Juventus have made their best-ever start to a season this term to quickly establish themselves as the front-runners to lift the title yet again. Massimiliano Allegri's side did see their 100% start ended on Saturday, though, with Genoa recording an impressive 1-1 draw at the Allianz Stadium to halt what had been a 10-match winning streak across all competitions. Saturday's result was also the first time Juve had failed to score two or more goals in a game this season, although that record - and their winning form - is still intact in terms of away games ahead of their trip to Old Trafford. Indeed, Juventus have not been beaten on the road in any competition since November of last year, a run of 22 games which includes 19 wins and victories at the likes of Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League. The Bianconeri are now undefeated in their last five European away games, including wins in each of their last four - most recently beating Valencia 2-0 on matchday one despite the sending-off of Ronaldo after less than half an hour. Paulo Dybala stepped up in Ronaldo's absence against Young Boys last time out with a hat-trick, but expect the spotlight to be back on the prodigal son on Tuesday night. Recent Champions League form: WW Recent form (all competitions): WWWWWD Team News © Reuters Anthony Martial is expected to keep his place in the United side after scoring twice against Chelsea to take his tally to three goals in his last two games for the club. Fellow forward Romelu Lukaku is not in such hot form in front of goal, though, having now failed to find the back of the net in his last seven outings for United. Lukaku is nonetheless expected to lead the line once again in what could be an unchanged team from the one which came so close to victory at Chelsea. Fred is pushing for a start in midfield, but Juan Mata's display at Stamford Bridge could mean that he gets the nod alongside Nemanja Matic and former Juve man Paul Pogba once again. Jesse Lingard, Diogo Dalot and Marcos Rojo remain sidelined for the hosts, while Scott McTominay and Marouane Fellaini are doubtful.<doc-sep>Get the latest United updates, transfer news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox every day for free Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has some injury problems to contend with when Juventus visit Old Trafford on Tuesday. Alexis Sanchez is out for United, as are Marouane Fellaini, Jesse Lingard, Phil Jones, Diogo Dalot and Scott McTominay. But with Cristiano Ronaldo returning to United and Paul Pogba facing his former club, Mourinho has some big selection decisions to make with limited resources. In the 2-2 draw with Chelsea, Mourinho played a back four consisting of Luke Shaw, Chris Smalling, Victor Lindelof and Ashley Young. In terms of rotation, the options are limited but Antonio Valencia may be a better option than Young to defend against Ronaldo. However, Mourinho admitted there are questions over Valencia's fitness. Eric Bailly could be preferred to Lindelof given Juventus striker Paulo Dybala's pace, but an unchanged back line will probably prove to be more beneficial as opposed to chopping and changing to second-guess Juventus. Into midfield, and Paul Pogba will be itching to put in a show against his former employers. He has looked good in a deeper position during recent second half comebacks against Newcastle and Chelsea, so should be given the chance to make an impression there from the start alongside Nemanja Matic. Juan Mata excelled in his number ten position, but admittedly tired into the second half and two high-profile games in a week may be too much for him. Juventus have quality in midfield in the form of Sami Khedira, Miralem Pjanic and Blaise Matuidi, so the energy of Fred might be a better way to win the midfield battle. If Mata dropped out, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial would need to work harder to get themselves involved, but on a night where all the attention will be on the homecoming of a former United winger they will be motivated to show their own abilities. Upfront, Romelu Lukaku has his own point to prove, after going six games without a goal for United. With no viable options to replace him in attack, though, he is in little danger of losing his place.<doc-sep>
Cristiano Ronaldo goes back to the place where it all started for this huge Group H showdown Manchester United welcome Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford as they host Juventus in Tuesday’s crunch Champions League group stage clash. The Portuguese spent six glorious years with United (2003-09) before moving on to Real Madrid for a then world-record fee. 4 Ronaldo’s return provides an interesting sub-plot to the huge clash The five-time Ballon D’Or winner has already come back to haunt his former club once, scoring Madrid’s winner to knock United out of the Champions League in 2013. United midfielder Paul Pogba also faces former employers, amid rumours linking him with a return to Turin. Juve lead the way in Group H, with two wins from two, while Jose Mourinho’s side sit second after their disappointing draw at home to Valencia. Since then, the Red Devils have experienced a mini-resurgence, with a thrilling comeback win over Newcastle and a point away at Chelsea on Saturday. 4 United have shown signs of improvement Mourinho was seconds from victory at Stamford Bridge before Ross Barkley’s last-gasp leveller denied him, sparking chaos on the touchline as the Portuguese reacted to goading from Blues assistant Marco Ianni. Meanwhile, the Italian champions dropped their first points of the season with a 1-1 draw against Genoa over the weekend, as Ronaldo became the first player in history to reach 400 goals in the top five European leagues. 84 of those came in the Premier League for United. What the managers are saying 4 Mourinho calls Juve one of the favourites for the competition Jose Mourinho (Man United): “Juventus have a lot to offer. They have an extra year of experience with the same coach. “For the last five years or so they’ve been real contenders to win the title. “They’ve been to a couple of finals, they’ve won [seven] Scudetti on the trot and they have a really special player [Ronaldo], who makes a real difference. “As far as I’m concerned, Juventus are more than just a contender this season to win the Champions League.” 4 Allegri says his side were distracted against Genoa Massimiliano Allegri (Juventus): “[It] will be a difficult game. They’re a very physical side, and we will have to play with a lot of technique and precision. “It will be two teams that have a lot of important young players facing each other. [The] match will be an important test for them in a game of this magnitude.” Team news Jose Mourinho has named the same starting XI who drew with Chelsea on Saturday for the visit of Juventus in the Champions League. The Red Devils will once again field an attacking line up with Juan Mata partnering Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic in midfield. Manchester United: De Gea, Young, Smalling, Lindelöf, Shaw, Matic, Pogba, Rashford, Mata, Martial, Lukaku Subs: Bailly, Pereira, Fred, Herrera, Romero, Darmian, Chong Juventus have named a strong side with few surprises, with Ronaldo in their starting XI. Juventus: Szczesny, Cavaco Cancelo, Bonucci, Chiellini, Lobo Silva, Bentancur, Pjanic, Matuidi, Cuadrado, Ronaldo, Dybala Subs: De Sciglio, Benatia, Douglas Costa, Barzagli, Kean, Perin, Bernardeschi