Evening all! Sports Mole's live Europa League coverage continues from Odessa as Ukrainian outfit Zorya Luhansk welcome Manchester United as Group A draws to a close. Man United need a draw to be sure of a spot in the knockout round, but they can go through with a defeat if Feyenoord do not beat current group leaders Fenerbahce. Be sure to stick with me for live updates from a chilly Odessa!

The reverse match back in September was, unsurprisingly, the first time that these two teams had ever met in a competitive match. It was a pretty forgettable game for long spells, but Man United secured all the points courtesy of a Zlatan Ibrahimovic header in the 69th minute of action. As a result, Man United are actually now unbeaten in seven games with Ukrainian sides in Europe.

Right, without further ado, let me bring you up-to-speed with the all-important team news from Ukraine. Both teams were in league action at the weekend – Zorya losing 3-2 at home to Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk and Man United drawing 1-1 at Everton. Any changes? Let's take a look at the two sides...

TEAMS!

ZORYA: Levchenko; Opanasenko, Forster, Sivakov, Sukhotskiy; Karavaev, Kharatin, Chaykovskiy, Petriak; Ljubenovic, Bezborodko

UNITED: Romero; Young, Bailly, Rojo, Blind; Herrera, Pogba; Mata, Rooney, Mkhitaryan; Ibrahimovic

Igor Levchenko is back between the sticks for the home side after sitting out their league game at the weekend, while Artem Sukhotskiy has been recalled at full-back. There is no change to Zorya's attack, however, with skipper Zeljko Ljubenovic once again supporting Denys Bezborodko in the final third. Ivan Petriak and Olexandr Karavaev will occupy the two wide positions for the hosts.

As for Man United, Jose Mourinho has made six changes to the team that drew 1-1 with Everton on Sunday afternoon. Sergio Romero replaces David de Gea between the sticks, while Ashley Young, Eric Bailly and Daley Blind come into the defence. Further forward, there are also starts for Juan Mata and Wayne Rooney, with Anthony Martial and Michael Carrick among those dropping out. Henrikh Mkhitaryan, meanwhile, will look to continue his impressive run of form in a wide position.

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So there we have it. The two teams are in and we are just about 40 minutes from kickoff in Ukraine. As mentioned, Man United currently sit second in Group A and need a draw to be sure of a spot in the knockout round of the competition. They can also finish top of the group with a win, but much would depend on Group A's other match between Feyenoord and Fenerbahce, which should be a good game!

As for Zorya, they will finish bottom of Group A in their maiden UEFA group-stage campaign regardless of what happens in tonight's final two matches. Yuriy Vernydub's side secured direct qualification to the group stages of the Europa League after finishing fourth in the Ukrainian top flight last season. They were actually a massive 22 points off the champions Dynamo Kiev, but only lost six of their 26 matches to finish directly below Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the division.

Zorya opened their Group A campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to Fenerbahce, before losing 1-0 at Man United and Feyenoord in their next two. They managed to hold Feyenoord to a 1-1 draw in this stadium at the start of last month, but their hopes of qualifying ended when they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Fenerbahce on November 24. As you may have realised, this game does go ahead despite concerns over the pitch.

The Chornomorets Stadium, where #MUFC will face Zorya Luhansk on Thursday. #UEL pic.twitter.com/suaPFx2x4h — Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 7, 2016

The Ukrainian outfit have actually not won in any competition since a 2-1 victory over Zirka in the league at the end of October. Since then, they have gone four games without a win in the league – including a 3-2 defeat to Dnipro at the weekend - with that run of form leaving them in third position in the Premier League table, some 16 points behind the leaders Shakhtar Donetsk.

As for Man United, they will enter this match off the back of a 1-1 draw with Everton in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon. It was another game that the Red Devils deserved to win, but it was another game where they lost valuable points after Leighton Baines scored from the penalty spot in the latter stages to cancel out Ibrahimovic's opener. As a result, Mourinho's side are sixth in the Premier League table – some nine points behind fourth-place Manchester City, which is a real worry at this stage.

It would be fair to say that the football under Mourinho has been much better than under David Moyes or Louis van Gaal, but Man United have only won one of their last eight in the league, which is just not good enough. That said, just one defeat has occurred during that run and there have been a lot of positive signs in recent weeks, even if the results are not quite there at the moment.

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It has been a difficult league season for the Red Devils thus far, but they have impressed in the cup competitions. Indeed, they thumped West Ham 4-1 last Wednesday to book their spot in the semi-finals of the League Cup and they will be the big favourites to overcome Hull City and reach another final.

In terms of this competition, Man United opened with a 1-0 defeat away to Feyenoord, but bounced back with a 1-0 victory over Zorya and 4-1 success against Fenerbahce to move into a strong position. A 2-1 defeat at Fenerbahce early last month curtailed their progress, but they thumped Feyenoord 4-0 last time out to ensure that they would enter this match in second position.

Unsurprisingly, this season is Man United's first ever appearance in the group stage of the Europa League. They have indeed appeared in this competition on two previous occasions – reaching the round of 16 - but both of those campaigns came after elimination from the group stage of the Champions League. Due to their league struggles, success in this competition has taken on more importance as they bid to secure a return to the Champions League for the 2017-18 season.

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In terms of what is ahead for Man United, they have a massive game at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League this weekend, before travelling to Crystal Palace on December 14. They will then visit West Bromwich Albion on December 17, before welcoming Sunderland on Boxing Day. It is absolutely vital that Mourinho's side start putting wins on the board as they chase down the top four.

Mkhitaryan tells #MUTVHD he has "good memories" from his time in Ukraine, including a hat-trick in this stadium. https://t.co/p7S6h9IqiL

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 8, 2016

PREDICTION! Man United have incredibly lost eight of their last nine away games in Europe. Indeed, a run of five successive away European defeats is their worst ever run. That said, I fancy them to have too much for Zorya tonight. The pitch is not fantastic and it might be a bit of a slog, but Mourinho has picked a very strong team and I am backing them to get the job done with a 2-0 success.

Here we go then - both sets of players have joined us on the pitch ahead of kickoff in Odessa. The pitch is very hard, but has been deemed playable by UEFA officials. Man United need a point to make sure of a spot in the next round, but they can lose and go through if Feyenoord fail to beat Fenerbahce. I shall also keep you updated with any goals that might go in over in the Netherlands.

KICKOFF! Man United kick things off in Odessa...

... not quite a full house inside the stadium, but there is a good atmosphere and the home supporters will look to make this an uncomfortable night for the team in red. As expected, Man United have taken control of the early possession as they look to get a feel of this rock-hard pitch.

Already a few nerves for the home side in the early moments as Levchenko fires into the stands under pressure from Rooney. Man United are looking to close the space available to the hosts here.

Possession football from Man United at the moment as they look to work some space in the final third of the field. Zorya just cannot get in the game as they continue to relinquish possession.

Little bit better from the home side in the last couple of minutes as they enjoy some possession and Herrera is fortunate to escape a booking following a late challenge on Opanasenko. You just get the feeling that the first goal tonight - if there indeed is one - could be vital in this match.

Karavaev goes down in a heap after taking the ball in the face!

Zorya are just happy to sit deep and defend their penalty box as Man United continue to dominate the ball. Pogba hits one from outside the box, but his effort never had the power or direction to trouble the home side's goalkeeper. We are still waiting for the first real chance of the match here.

SAVE! Romero has to get down to keep out a low strike from Kharatin as Zorya start to threaten in the final third of the field. Petriak then hits one into the side netting from a wide angle.

Not an awful lot from Man United in terms of chances created, but they are dominating the ball as they continue to pass and probe in the final third of the field. Zorya are solid at the back here.

Easy save for Levchenko to stop a long-range Herrera strike.

Man United are just finding it difficult to pick holes at the moment as Zorya sit deep and close the space available. The home side have also already shown that they will cause problems on the counter attack when given the opportunity. It has been a pretty even game in the opening 15 minutes.

Young finds space down the right and looks to pick a cross towards the far post, but there are no takers and Zorya can resume from the dead-ball line once again. Still goalless in this Group A clash.

CLOSE! Pogba strikes one from the edge of the box, but his effort is just wide of the post. The Frenchman did not need a second invitation to aim one towards the bottom corner!

Another half-chance for Pogba as the midfielder reaches a cross from Young, but his header was always drifting over the crossbar. Spaces are just starting to open for the away side here.

Really good pressure from the away side at the moment as they continue to put pressure on the Zorya goal. Ibrahimovic comes close to meeting a cute pass from Mata, but Sivakov is on hand to make the clearance and the Ukrainian side clear the resulting corner. Zorya are just holding on.

There is no question that Karavaev is the danger man for the home side, but the winger has not seen too much of the ball in the opening 24 minutes of this match. Half-chance for Man United as Pogba slides a pass into Rooney, but the skipper just takes one touch too many and it goes behind.

Pass, pass, pass from Man United. Defend, defend, defend from Zorya.

UPDATE! Fenerbahce have taken the lead against Feyenoord in Group A's other match.

Not too much from Zorya in terms of attacking football, but they are defending pretty well at the moment and have been able to restrict Man United to few clear-cut opportunities tonight.

As things stand, Man United could lose this match and still go through, but that would be another setback for the Red Devils during a run where they really need to start putting wins on the board. The Red Devils are just playing too slow at the moment, which is giving Zorya time to recover at the back.

Terrible incident here as a flare is thrown onto the field - not too far from Romero, who is understandably a little bit shaken. There is just no place in football for these type of incidents.

Pogba fires into the stands as Man United continue to huff and puff in Odessa.

Flare on field and now this...

#mufc players getting a lazer pen aimed at them from the crowd. Blind has complained to 4th official about it. — Andrew Kilduff (@TuftyMUFC) December 8, 2016

Little under 10 minutes of the first period remaining and Man United continue to press as they look for the opening goal of the match. Zorya are offering absolutely nothing down the other end.

Half-chance for the home side as Karavaev hits one from distance, but his effort, which had power and direction, was always just missing the post. That is much better from Zorya though.

Mata chips wide from a narrow angle as another half-chance arrives for Man United.

Bailly goes for the spectacular and produces a brilliant over-head kick, but it is a pretty comfortable save for the home side's goalkeeper. It remains goalless with 39 on the clock here.

The space is out wide, but Man United continue to go down the middle and Zorya are just clearing their lines with relative ease. I expected a lot more from the away side in this first period, but clear chances have been very much at a premium. Not too long left in this first half of action.

Little bit of possession for the home side in the last couple of minutes, but they are not really going anywhere with it and Man United can step out and start another passing move in the final third.

SAVE! Levchenko gets down to keep out a decent Rooney effort.

SAVE! Rooney hits it better this time and brings a really good save from Levchenko!

CHANCE! Rojo fires over the crossbar from close range!

So there we have it. The referee brings the first period to a close with the two teams level at 0-0. Man United have been much the better team in terms of possession and chances created, but Zorya are holding firm defensively. As it stands, Man United will advance into the round of 16.

STATISTICS! Man United have dominated the possession with 70%, while they have had 10 attempts - four of which were on target. Zorya, meanwhile, hit the target with just one of their three attempts in the opening 45 minutes. No bookings to report - it has not been that type of match.

BENCH WATCH! Fellaini, Lingard, Martial and Rashford are all available for Man United in the second period and it would not be a surprise to see any of the latter three introduced to provide some width. Zorya, meanwhile, have options in the shape of Checher, Paulinho, Kulach and Lipartia.

HT: Zorya 0 #MUFC 0. Chances have been few and far between for both sides on a tricky pitch in Odessa. #UEL pic.twitter.com/2QZkIrz3bV — Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 8, 2016

RESTART! Zorya resume the action in Odessa...

... no changes from either side at the break, which is not too much of a surprise. However, I suspect that both managers will already have alterations in mind for the second period here.

Oh my word what a goal! Sensational from Mkhitaryan as the Armenian opens his Man Unitedaccount in style. The midfielder shows super feet to move clear of two Zorya defenders before sliding the ball into the bottom corner. It is brilliant work from the former Dortmund attacker.

Man United are really going after Zorya at the moment as they press high up the field.

Half-chance for Man United this time as Mkhitaryan again finds space inside the Zorya box before looking to pick out Ibrahimovic, but the cross has too much power and Zorya can restart from the dead-ball line. The home side are really struggling to get going at the start of the second period.

ZORYA SUB! Dennis replaces Bezborodko for the home side.

No movement on the Man United bench as things stand, but you suspect that Mourinho will start to consider the Tottenham match over the next five minutes or so. It would not be the worst idea in the world to give Ibrahimovic a rest for the final 30 minutes. Man United are pretty much there.

ZORYA SUB! Grechyshkin replaces Kharatin for the home side.

SAVE! Decent stop from the Zorya goalkeeper to keep out Ibrahimovic's effort!

Fellaini is about to enter the field for Man United. Keep him away from the penalty box, please. It would not be a surprise to see Pogba withdrawn ahead of the Spurs game at the weekend.

Lingard also appears to be entering the field for Man United in what will be a double change. Zorya have just started to have more of the ball in the last couple of minutes, which has boosted their fans.

Little over 25 minutes of football remaining in Odessa and Man United are very comfortable.

MAN UNITED SUB! Lingard replaces Mata in Man United's first change.

Dennis has been very impressive for the home side since entering the field, but the attacker's latest run is blocked by Bailly, who has also been brilliant tonight. Still 1-0 Man United here.

Dennis again causes Man United a problem and after beating Blind to the ball, he fires into the stands. The teenage forward has been excellent. Why on earth did he not start this match?!

MAN UNITED SUB! Rooney is replaced by Fellaini for Man United.

Concern for Bailly here as the centre-back stays down following a heavy challenge.

Bailly wants to go back on the field, but Jones is stripped and ready to enter!

ZORYA SUB! Lipartia replaces Ljubenovic for the home side.

SAVE! Super save from Romero to keep out a close-range header from Sivakov!

Zorya have finally woken up here and are causing Man United problems as they continue to deliver high balls into the away side's box. Very lively game with little over 15 minutes remaining here.

Man United have a free kick in a dangerous area as Sivakov brings Pogba to the deck...

... Mkhitaryan finds Fellaini with a clever free kick, but the Belgian heads over the crossbar!

Lingard gets caught in two minds and ends up dragging a low shot wide of the post. You just get the feeling that there is another goal in this match as we approach the final 10 minutes here.

Pogba gets too familiar with the home side's goalkeeper when challenging for a high ball and the referee awards a free kick. We have still not had a single yellow card in this match!

CLOSE! Ibrahimovic just misses the crossbar with a powerful strike.

BOOKING! Herrera (Man United) is booked for a late challenge on Dennis.

MAN UNITED SUB! Fosu-Mensah replaces Mkhitaryan for Man United.

Fosu-Mensah fancies himself as a centre-back. He has played right-back and central midfield for Man United, but now the teenager is playing in a wide attacking role! He certainly has the physical abilities to operate in that position. Man United are close to booking their last-32 spot tonight.

Man United have their second of the night as Pogba releases Ibrahimovic and the Swede stays onside before slotting the ball into the bottom corner. Good job well done tonight!

BOOKING! Bailly (Man United) is booked for a late tackle on Dennis.

SAVE! Zorya's goalkeeper gets down to keep out a low Fosu-Mensah strike.

Not long left in Odessa and Man United are heading for the next round of the Europa League.

So there we have it. The referee brings the second period in Odessa to a close with Man United booking their spot in the next round of the Europa League courtesy of a 2-0 win over Zorya. Thanks for joining Sports Mole for the live action once again. Until next time!