Manchester United recorded a goalless draw in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie with Sevilla this evening to give them the slight edge over their Spanish opponents ahead of the return fixture at Old Trafford.
Sevilla fired in 25 shots to United's six over the course of the match, but clear chances were few and far between and Sevilla only created one gilt-edged opening at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
Luis Muriel rose unmarked to meet a cross from the right, but his firm header was miraculously kept out by a stunning reaction save from David de Gea.
Find out how all of the action unfolded courtesy of Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates below.
It has been so far so good for English clubs in the last 16, with Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea all picking up decent results so far - and all but Chelsea getting theirs away from home. Manchester United are bidding to join in the fun tonight, but they take on a Sevilla side who have a formidable European record in recent years - albeit not in this competition.
We will have a close look at both teams in a short while, but first let's check out the team news...
Well, there really is only one place to start, and that is with the man who has dominated all of the headlines around Manchester United in recent days - Paul Pogba. Reports have suggested that the France international has fallen out with manager Jose Mourinho, and that speculation will only intensify this evening as he is left of the bench, despite Mourinho strongly hinting in his pre-match press conference that he would be available to start.
Pogba pulled out of the recent FA Cup win over Huddersfield on the morning of the game due to illness - something he may still be struggling with - but he has now been dropped from two and subbed in two of his last four games for the club. All does not seem to be well for him at Old Trafford.
© Offside
Herrera has missed United's last two games through injury, but his inclusion does raise questions over United's shape this evening. Mourinho has recently played with a 4-2-3-1 formation, but in their last Champions League outing it was closer to a 4-4-2 diamond, which could be what he is going for tonight with Mata at the tip of that diamond.
The Sevilla manager Vincenzo Montella and his players seemed most worried about Sanchez in the build-up to this match, even joking that they may need to tie him up with rope in order to stop him this evening.
In front of him there is a start for Victor Lindelof and Chris Smalling as Eric Bailly has to make do with a place on the bench, having only returned from a lengthy injury layoff as a late sub in the weekend win over Huddersfield. Young makes up the back four, while Matic continues in the middle of the park just in front of them.
Banega - who is one of three Sevilla players, alongside Escudero and Mercado, to be just a booking away from a ban - joins former Stoke City midfielder Steven N'Zonzi in the middle of the park.
That should give Sevilla more attacking prowess down that side, and his partnership with Pablo Sarabia on the right is something United need to keep a very close eye on this evening. It is, perhaps, why Mourinho has included a relatively defensive midfield lineup.
However, he is by no means Sevilla's only threat, with Correa and Vazquez also providing support for Luis Muriel who, while not exactly a prolific goalscorer, is very effective when holding the ball up and bringing others into play.
Indeed, up to and including the final group game Ben Yedder has scored 13 goals in 18 appearances across all competitions, but in the 12 he has featured in since he has scored just four times. One of those did come against Las Palmas at the weekend, though.
Sevilla go into tonight sitting six points off the Champions League places in La Liga, and that is on course to grow even further before they even kick off with Real Madrid currently leading Leganes in their game in hand. Despite being fifth, Sevilla also have a negative goal difference, scoring the fewest in the top eight and conceding the second-most in the top nine.
Sevilla's tally of only two group-stage wins is also the fewest of any side to have made it through to the last 16, so it is fair to paint them as the underdogs both in this tie and the competition as a whole.
Montella has not exactly managed to solve the consistency problems for the Spanish outfit, but they do come into this match off the back of a three-game winning run, and another triumph will make it four on the bounce for the first time since March 2017. Sevilla have only been beaten once in their last nine outings too, so they are not an easy team to get the better of under Montella.
© SilverHub
The Spanish outfit have only lost one of their eight matches in this season's competition, including qualifiers, but they have never made it further than this stage. They have now reached the knockout stages for the fourth time in their five appearances, but they have been eliminated here in all three previous season, including at the hands of Leicester City last term.
They do, however, boast a very good home record, which is where they have been consistent this season. Indeed, stretching back to last term Sevilla have lost just one of their last 35 outings in front of their own fans - a run which dates back to November 2016.
Indeed, they have only lost one of their last nine home games in this competitions, although that run began after a defeat here at the hands of United's local rivals Manchester City in November 2015.
In all competitions Sevilla have won their last two outings here, and another win this evening would make it three in a row for the first time since November.
The concern will be that their away form has been nowhere near as good, though, with United losing two of their last three games on the road. Indeed, throughout the entire season United have lost six times away from home, compared to only one defeat at Old Trafford.
This will be United's first Champions League knockout game since 2014 and their 10th appearance in the last 16 overall. United lost their first two ties at this stage of the competition, but have only failed to progress from one of the seven since.
However, they cruised through their group fairly comfortably with five wins from six against Basel, CSKA Moscow and Benfica, which left them with their best points tally in the group stage of this competition since 2007-08, when they went on to beat Chelsea in the final.
In European competition overall United have lost just twice in their last 18 games, with those defeats both coming this season against Real Madrid in the Super Cup and Basel in what was effectively a dead-rubber Champions League tie.
© Offside
It is a tactic which Mourinho often deploys in big matches away from home, and United certainly have the defensive record to suggest that they can pull it off. They have conceded the fewest goals in the Premier League so far this season, and in the group stages of this competition only Barcelona let in fewer, with United keeping three clean sheets along the way.
The Red Devils have won two of their three games on the road this season, but looking further back they have won only four of their last 14 Champions League away games stretching back to November 2012, and in their nine previous last-16 ties they have only won the away leg twice.
This ground will also hold happy memories for him too, as it is where he led Porto to the UEFA Cup in 2003, his first major European trophy.
First legs can often be tentative affairs, and the mercurial nature of Sevilla this season makes things even more difficult to predict this evening. United's style of play may be the main factor, though, and I can't imagine Mourinho going gung-ho this evening, so I will go for a low-scoring draw.
SPORTS MOLE SAYS: Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
Sevilla have only ever lost once at home to English opposition, winning three and drawing one of their five such meetings, but that solitary defeat did come against Manchester opposition when City came to town in the 2015-16 group stages.
Sevilla have previously met English opposition in knockout rounds twice before, losing to Leicester City at this stage last season, but beating Tottenham Hotspur 4-3 on aggregate in the quarter-finals of the 2006-07 UEFA Cup, which they went on to win.
Indeed, looking even further back United have only won five of their last 22 games against teams from La Liga, drawing nine of those and losing eight, so they do not have the best record against Spanish clubs.
This will be the 51st time they have come up against a Spanish, and they have won 13 and lost 17 of the previous 50 - including just three wins and 10 defeats from 23 away games.
SEVILLA STARTING XI: Sergio Rico; Jesús Navas, Mercado, Lenglet, Escudero; Banega, N'Zonzi; Sarabia, Vázquez, Correa; Muriel
MAN UTD STARTING XI: De Gea; Valencia, Lindelof, Smalling, Young; Matic, McTominay, Herrera, Mata, Sanchez; Lukaku
It has been an even and well-fought contest so far, with chances fairly few and far between for both sides until the very end of the half. Still all to play for in the second half, but Mourinho will be relatively pleased as things stand.
The United shot-stopper, who has so often been their saviour, produced a quite remarkable reaction save to turn the ball over the crossbar. Just another one to add to his growing collection.
What. A. Save 😳
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 21, 2018
David de Gea to the rescue again for Manchester United.
Point blank 🖐 pic.twitter.com/Zf6TdbeKeC
The Spaniard has been the busier of the two keepers, also making saves to deny two tame Correa efforts and a Muriel strike from range. Jesus Navas has also come close with a long-range drive for the home side.
The Belgian went for the first-time volley, but opted to open his foot rather than going with his laces and blazed it well over the crossbar. It was not the easiest chance, but Lukaku still should have done better.
It could have been better for the hosts but for a stunning save from De Gea, though, with the United goalkeeper pulling off a truly world-class save to deny Luis Muriel right at the end of the first half.
Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's match as heroics from David de Gea help to earn Manchester United a goalless draw with Sevilla in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too.
From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
