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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Richard Fay

Manchester United make request ahead of Borussia Dortmund youth tie

Manchester United are urging as many fans as possible to support their Under 19s side when they face Borussia Dortmund in the Youth League on Tuesday night.

United have been drawn at home to take on the German side in the last 16 tie and know a big performance will be required if they are to beat one of Europe's best youth teams.

The match will take place at Leigh Sports Village on Tuesday night, with tickets free to any supporters who wish to come along and back the club's next generation of hopefuls.

United had hoped to host the fixture at Old Trafford but have been unable to secure the venue for the fixture, though there is still hope any possible quarter-final fixture could take place there.

Club officials have switched the kick-off time to 8pm rather than in the afternoon, to make it feel more like a Champions League night, and manager Neil Wood is hoping to have as many fans in attendance as possible.

"I think it makes a massive difference," Wood told MEN Sport when asked about the importance of having fans to watch. "The other thing is that it is a big part of the development of these young players if fans come in.

"I know Leigh is a little bit out of the way from Manchester, but it would be amazing for these young players to have a good crowd here. For them to feel what a Champions League night feels like. That was the idea of playing it at 8pm.

"We had hoped to get it on at Old Trafford, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. We want it to feel like a Champions League night for these young players, so we are hoping a lot of fans can get down here and get behind the team."

United warmed up for the match with a fine 5-2 victory against Derby in the Premier League 2 on Friday night.

Alvaro Fernandez, Hannibal, Noam Emeran, Charlie Savage and Shola Shoretire grabbed the goals and Wood knows his side will need to be at their best to get another memorable result.

He added: "It was a springboard, especially with the Youth Cup as well, the two performances back-to-back. There have been a lot of good performances over the last days.

"There will be some who miss out. Some players are too old, some will step up from the U18s. It is going to be a good game, one that we are looking forward to and that we think we can do well in. We are trying to advance as far as we can. We know it will be tough. They are a good team. They are strong, fast, and physical."

You can get your free match tickets by following this link.

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