The Manchester United season depends on what will unfold on the next two Thursday evening when they are confronted with Lyon in what will certainly be two spicy Europa League quartefinal tires.
The Ante has had a wonderful collision in the last 24 hours after a word war between Andre Onana and Nemanja Matic.
Despite their poor performance in the Premier League, who left Ruben Amorim in 13th place, United remains the only team in the second club competition in Europe that still has to be defeated.
The Red Devils defeated Real Sociedad 5-2 aggregated in the previous round, with Captain Bruno Fernandes who produced a man of the hat trick of the game in the 4-1 second leg victory.
Although it is eligible for European football in its own country, the Europa League offers a lucrative opportunity to secure a place in the Champions League next season.
Manchester United, however, has to overcome a Lyon side that beat FCSB 7-1 in the last 16, before being confronted with athletic Bilbao or Rangers in the semi-final.
Opponents Lyon come into play in great form and are fifth in Ligue 1 in 48 points and won half of their games played.
Lyon is a renowned French football giant, who started a national record line of seven consecutive titles in 2002.
After several seasons, Les Gones are currently going through a Renaissance and they are hunting to end up Second Ligue 1 behind PSG and seek European glory.
United fans and Premier League supporters are greeted on Thursday by familiar faces in the meeting with many former English top players who are currently playing for Lyon.
The Red Devils Fanbase will have mixed feelings about seeing the Serbian central midfielder Nemanja Matic in the other team.
The 36-year-old played 189 times for the Old Trafford-Outfit, but never lifted a trophy during his five seasons at Old Trafford-Liets to which he was reminded by the current United goalkeeper Andre Onana in a fiery exchange of words on Wednesday.
Matic took the first exception to Onanan's comments about Lyon as the inferior side and said in his pre-game press conference on Wednesday afternoon: 'If you are one of the worst keepers in the history of Man United, you have to worry about what you are talking about.
'If David de Gea, or Peter Schmeichel, or (Edwin) van der Sar said that, I will ask myself.
With which Onana returned with X: 'I would never be disrespectful for another club. We know that tomorrow will be a difficult game against a strong opponent. We focus on preparing a performance to make our fans proud.
'At least I have lifted trophies with the largest club in the world. Some cannot say the same. '
Fans will gladly see the Serbian in action and whether that is a confrontations on the pitch with the United Shot stopper.
Matic is not the only former Premier League player on this Lyon side -with former Arsenal -Duo Alexandre Lacazette and Ainsley Maitland -Niles who are bound to get an icy reception from United supporters.
Lacazette scored 54 times in 158 Premier League performances and would like to please the Arsenal fans by scoring more against United.
The 33-year-old has 14 goals in 35 games in all competitions, which were given three times in his last three games in the competition.
Academy product Maitland-Niles will have a similar mindset that has been in Arsenal for 20 years before moving to Lyon.
The right side has made Lyon's home since his free transfer, which operates on both sides of the defense.
The Premier League connections do not stop there with both former Nottingham Forest Center Back Moussa Niakhate and Jordan Veretout from ex-Aston Villa.
Midfielder Veretout was a replacement from Fabian Delph after his sale to Manchester City, but the Frenchman never adapted to English football.
As a result, Veretout was part of the relegated Villa team 2015-16, a stark contrast with the side that is now in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
Yet Manchester United should not only be aimed at former Premier League talent, Lyon also has some of the most exciting young talent that comes through the ranks.
Georges Mikautadze, who was born in Lyon, has a sensational debut season for Les Gones after participation at the start of the season after his Superb Euro 2024 campaign with Georgia.
The 24-year-old attacker shared minutes with the aging Lacazette, but has been deadly with 14 goals and eight assists in 39 performances.
The Georgian is not the only young gun that looks forward to, because 21-year-old Rayan Cherki will also be a handful of the Red Devils with nine goals and 18 assists about 36 games this season.
The French international is just as dominant with both feet, seeping with technical quality, playing on both wings and no. 10.
By going the renowned Academy of Lyon, in particular including Karim Benzema, Nabil Fekir, Hatem Ben Arfa and Anthony Martial, Cherki demonstrably owns the most natural talent.
After the first criticism of his professionalism and attitude after his debut only two months after his 16th birthday, the attacker is mature and flourished under the steward of Paolo Fonseca.
In the Lyon system, the Frenchman starts the tendency to start on the right and drives more centrally to influence the game.
Corentin Tolisso is responsible for the heavy work to make Cherki Freedom possible, so that the talented attacker gives the possession and the space to dictate the game.
An important reason for the revival of Cherki, Lyon's coach Fonseca is a passionate character that channeled the boldness and ingenuity of Maurizio Sarri and Pep Guardiola while admiring the work of his Portuguese countryman Jose Mourinho.
Nevertheless, the Lyon boss currently passed a domestic suspension of nine months after a fight with the referee during a league match where the Portuguese were sent and squared into the face of the referee.
He is currently excluded from the Dugout and from communicating with his bank to November 30, but from 15 September he will have access to the changing rooms and tunnel area.
“Unbelievable,” he said about the ban on the Guardian. 'Of course what I did was not correct and I should pay for it. But I shouted at the referee, I had no contact with him or do one go [violence].
'They want to make an example of me for French football, I think I don't pay for what I did, but for the moment we are in. But I should not be an example, I should just pay for what I did.
'It's unfair, but we are fighting this decision and I believe that things can change. It is hard to understand when we see so many of these situations in all countries and nobody received a fine like I did. '
Assistant -Manager Jorge Maciel has done a good job to send the ship in the absence of the former Roma and AC Milan manager.
However, Fonseca will be back in the Dugout on Thursday, because his ban does not contain European competitions and he will be chewing to exert his influence on the touchline in a location where they have only lost three times the entire season.