‘Winner starts’ – Manchester United fans joke about Harry Maguire vs Raphael Varane World Cup clash
Manchester United supporters have expressed their excitement about seeing Harry Maguire come up against club teammate Raphael Varane when England take on France in the World Cup quarter-finals.
Maguire and England progressed to the quarter-finals after securing a 3-0 victory over Senegal in the Round of 16 on Sunday evening, while Varane and France cruised past Poland on the same day to secure their spot in the next stage of the tournament.
At club level, United captain Maguire has fallen behind Varane in the pecking order under manager Erik ten Hag, with the former Real Madrid centre-back forming a solid partnership with Argentine Lisandro Martinez.
Since Ten Hag was appointed Reds boss in the summer, Maguire has made just nine appearances in all competitions for United. Meanwhile, Varane, who picked up an injury just before the start of the World Cup, has featured on 11 occasions.
Following the Frenchman’s injury, Ten Hag opted to start Victor Lindelof alongside Martinez, with Maguire having to settle for a place among the substitutes.
However, both players have played important roles in their countries progressing through the group stages at the World Cup and the Round of 16.
Maguire and Varane are both likely to start for England and France respectively when the two sides clash on Saturday evening – and the prospect of seeing the two in action is exciting United fans.
Here’s how some Reds supporters reacted to the upcoming ‘battle’ between the defenders…
