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Van Gaal warns United not to take PSV lightly

Manchester United will book a place in the last 16 with victory on Wednesday but Louis van Gaal is taking nothing for granted against a team and coach he knows all too well.

Louis van Gaal talking to the press on Tuesday
Louis van Gaal talking to the press on Tuesday ©AFP/Getty Images
  • Manchester United will secure a round of 16 place with a win
  • United are eight matches unbeaten; PSV are six without defeat
  • Phillip Cocu played under Louis van Gaal at Barcelona and with the Netherlands
  • Wayne Rooney, Marouane Fellaini and Anthony Martial all expected to be fit
  • United's Memphis Depay scored against his former club on matchday one

Possible lineups
Manchester United:
De Gea; Young, Blind, Smalling, Rojo; Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger; Mata, Lingard; Depay, Rooney.
Out: Valencia (foot), Herrera (hamstring), Carrick (ankle), Jones (ankle), Shaw (broken leg)
Doubtful: Martial (foot), Rooney (ill), Fellaini (calf/shin), Wilson (knee)

PSV: Zoet; Brenet, Moreno, Bruma, Arias; Guardado, Maher, Pröpper; Locadia, De Jong, Narsingh.
Out
: Willems (knee), Koch (knee), Lestienne (personal reasons)
Doubtful: Guardado (thigh)

Highlights: PSV 2-1 Man. United

Louis van Gaal, Manchester United manager
The campaign has not gone as expected. The first match was very disappointing, not only because of the result but also because of the loss of Luke Shaw [to a broken leg]. PSV are always a very difficult team to beat. As a manager, I have always had that experience, with more losses than wins. It is not so important that PSV did not play so well in their last match: they have players in the squad to sharpen them up.

Phillip Cocu, PSV coach
Because we won at home, of course it gives the team the confidence of a good result. You have to believe in something to achieve it. Even if it is a difficult game to play away, in a fantastic stadium, you have to believe in your chances. It gives us confidence that we did it on our home ground and we will try to do it again tomorrow.

We've shown that we are capable of playing in this league, except perhaps in the first game in Moscow. But in Germany as well we demonstrated our ability. Everybody approaches the match with different tactics, and our opponents Manchester United will be doing the same – they will have their own tactics for tomorrow's match. All of our opponents have different strengths and weaknesses and I think we always manage to respond to that in a very professional manner.

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Weekend results
Watford 1-2 Manchester United (Deeney 87pen; Depay 11, Deeney og 90)
With United shorn of Wayne Rooney, Marouane Fellaini and Anthony Martial, Memphis Depay made his first Premier League start since 4 October. Troy Deeney's equaliser ended the Red Devils' run of 641 minutes without conceding, since Seydou Doumbia's opener for CSKA Moskva on matchday three.

Willem II 2-2 PSV (Falkenburg 55 62; Pereiro 11, De Jong 73)
Cocu's men, second in the Eredivisie, will travel to Old Trafford having had their five-match winning streak stopped in Tilburg.

Form guide (all competitions, most recent first)
Manchester United: WWWDDD
PSV: DWWWWW

Former players haunt their old clubs

Reporter's view: Simon Hart (@UEFAcomSimonH)
United have three straight wins behind them and have shipped only two goals in their last eight games. With Rooney and Martial back, one particular point of interest is whether Depay will get to start against his old club. Depay scored in Eindhoven in September and on Saturday hit a fine goal at Watford, but has been overshadowed in recent weeks by the home-grown Jesse Lingard.

Did you know?
Depay left PSV for United in the summer, while visiting tactician Cocu has the chance to pit his wits against Van Gaal, his former coach with Barcelona and the Netherlands. Find out more in our match background.

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