In their penultimate European league-phase match, Manchester United hosts Rangers, Scottish Premiership powerhouses.
UEFA has confirmed that Erik Lambrechts will officiate the league-phase match between Manchester United and Rangers at Old Trafford.
A 40-year-old Belgian referee with extensive experience officiating Jupiler Pro League games, Erik Lambrechts has also officiated several international matches, including World Cup qualifiers, European Championship qualifiers, and UEFA Nations League games, including England’s 5-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland last November.
According to WhoScored.com, Lambrechts has officiated four Europa League games during his career and has received 20 yellow cards, or five per game on average.
In his career, he has never officiated a Rangers or United game. Jo de Weirdt and Mathias Hillaert, who are in charge of the queue at Old Trafford, will help him. Nathan Verboomen will be the fourth official. Bram Van Driessche is on VAR duty for the Europa League match, and his booth assistance is German official Benjamin Brand.
Prospective opponents of Manchester United
A pivotal Europa League matchup between two of the most under-pressure managers in British football is expected to have a significant effect on which team advances automatically to the competition’s round of 16.
After making a significant impact towards the end of the previous season, Belgian manager Philippe Clement is under increasing pressure after his team lost the Scottish League Cup final at Hampden and fell to an unbeatable 13 points behind rivals Celtic in the Scottish Premiership title race. Rangers is a 2022 finalist.
The Light Blues have only won three of their eleven league games, making them the worst away team in the Scottish Premiership while being the top-performing home team.
Rangers have gained 11 points from their six games, with their most significant success being a 4-1 victory over Nice of Ligue 1 on the road in November. They have kept the majority of their best performances for Europe.
In the meantime, United, who were recently dubbed the worst Red Devils club ever by their new manager Ruben Amorim, have only won five of their 12 league home games and lost six of them.
With 12 points from six games, United has been more reliable in Europe and hasn’t experienced a loss. Their most disappointing outcome was a 1-1 draw with FC Twente at home in September, where Sam Lammers, a former Gers attacker, scored the game-winning equaliser.
