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20 minutes: United now need just one goal to top Group E and keep all the big names out of the Champions League. On the sidelines, Sociedad coach Imanol Alguacil made his feelings known through demonstrative outbursts of anger.
18 minutes: There is a quick VAR check. Was Fernandes offside when he headed the ball away from Rico? nope! The gate stands. It is Garnacho’s first appearance for Manchester United. What a time to score it!
GATE! Real Sociedad 0-1 Manchester United (17th Garnacho)
What a goal! Fernandes hits Rico with a header down the right flank of United. The ball sails into the field to Ronaldo, who plays a perfectly weighted ball down the inside left for Garnacho. The young Argentine, in full swing, takes a touch to get into the box then whistles an unstoppable shot over Remiro and into the top right corner. Wow!
15 minutes: Gorosabel steps down to the right and whips in a cross. Sorloth lurks, waiting to bring home a header, but Martinez is perfectly positioned and instead hits a clearing header back into top field.
14 minutes: Garnacho tears down the left flank, cutting into the field and trying to find Ronaldo on the other flank. A poor pass calls for a goal kick and he certainly would have shot better, but this young winger creates a tangible excitement when he gets the ball. A bundle of energy and skill.
12 minutes: Merino tries to free Rico through the left inside channel, but there’s a little too much juice on the pass. Goal kick. It’s been an open game so far, although it hasn’t quite come to life yet.
11 minutes: Ronaldo falls again and suffers a lot of abuse in the process. His record of 13 goals in his last seven games against La Real may have something to do with the welcome he’s getting from home fans.
9 minutes: Ronaldo tries to land the ball with his chest on the edge of the Sociedad box. He falls over and claims to have been pulled by Le Normand, but there was next to nothing in the challenge. While Ronaldo grumbles, Garnacho runs on and whips a low ball through the six-yard box from the left. But there is no one who makes the escape.
7 minutes: Marin squirms away from some Manchester United challenges in the center circle. His attempt to free Sorloth on the right is unceremoniously thwarted by Shaw’s no-nonsense intervention, but the home fans relished this small burst of skill.
5 minutes: Merino slides a pass down the inside left channel to release Carlos Fernandez into the United box. Fernandez hits the side netting high and hard and the flag is still correctly offside.
3 minutes: Rico dances his way through the inside left channel and nearly breaks into the United box. He rolls over the ball and Lindelof is able to lure him out for a goal kick. United haven’t snooped much yet.
1 minute: A brisk start for the hosts as Marin does well on the left. He has plenty of time and space to work so United are relieved to see the youngster careless on a goal kick.
United gets the ball rolling. Sociedad have lost two of their last three games while United are unbeaten in eight games. That should give Erik ten Hag’s men hope as they chase the two-goal win they need for top spot, with La Real’s much healthier goal difference being the sticking point.
Updated at 17:46 GMT
The teams are out! La Real and United emerge from the tunnel to a soggy anoeta after the skies were open in San Sebastian for most of the afternoon. The hosts play in their blue and white striped kits, while United play in third-choice highlighter green. We’ll be gone in a few minutes!
Erik ten Hag speaks to BT Sport. “We need to cover more games. Marcus Rashford was injured a couple of weeks ago and with so many games coming up he’s important for us. We have to keep it in this form and fresh. Donny van de Beek is back. We have some problems up front and this is his moment. He has to take this moment. I know he can do it from 10th position, play between the lines, cut behind, counterpress well, so I want to see that. Victor Lindelof has a really good combination with Lisandro Martinez, he missed a game due to illness and is now back. We know what to do tonight. We have to pace ourselves and have a plan. At the end of the game with Marcus Rashford we have an idea how to deal with it.
Manchester United make three changes to the XI chosen for Sunday’s 1-0 win over West Ham. Victor Lindelof, Donny van de Beek and Alejandro Garnacho replace Harry Maguire, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Elanga, who are all dropped to the bench.
Real Sociedad name a completely different starting line-up than the one chosen at Old Trafford in September. Robin Le Normand, Diego Rico, Pablo Marín, Alexander Sørloth and Carlos Fernández are there; Aihen Muñoz, Takefusa Kubo, Umar Sadiq, Aritz Elustondo and former Manchester City man David Silva are not.
The teams
Real Sociedad: Remiro, Gorosabel, Le Normand, Pacheco, Rico, Mendez, Zubimendi, Merino, Marin, Sorloth, Carlos Fernandez.
Substitutes: Sola, Illarramendi, Zubeldia, Elustondo, Zubiaurre, Guevara, Navarro, Turrientes, Gonzalez, Marrero, Karrikaburu, Magunacelaya.
Manchester United: de Gea, Dalot, Lindelof, Martinez, Shaw, Casemiro, Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes, van de Beek, Garnacho, Ronaldo.
Substitutes: Maguire, Rashford, Malacia, Fred, Pellistri, Wan-Bissaka, Dubravka, Elanga, McTominay, Shoretire, Vitek, Iqbal.
Referee: Georgi Kabakov (Bulgaria).
preamble
Last week Manchester United did this…
… and thus at least qualified for the knockout round play-offs of the Europa League. But if they want to go straight to the last 16 and avoid a knockout draw against a team fresh from the Champions League, they need to win tonight in San Sebastian… and beat Real Sociedad by two clear goals. Kick-off is at 17:45 GMT. It’s on!