Solskjaer Previews Midtjylland Vs United

Manchester United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer fully expects his former club to overcome Danish champions FC Midtjylland in the Europa League - but the Treble winner concedes there is a small chance his fellow Scandinavians may spring a surprise on Louis van Gaal's men.

The Reds travelled to Denmark on Wednesday ahead of Thursday’s first leg at the MCH Arena; meanwhile, Solskjaer is preparing his own Molde team to face Sevilla in the same Round of 32. The Norwegian has humbly compared his own chances of beating the La Liga club to Midtjylland's prospects of defeating United, even making an amusing and self-effacing reference to 1990s movie Dumb and Dumber.

Solskjaer offers his views on United's tie during an interview with FC Midtjylland’s official YouTube channel and you can read the main points of the discussion below...

What kind of club will FC Midtjylland face in Manchester United?
In my opinion Manchester United is one of the three biggest clubs in the world on a par with Real Madrid and Barcelona. I had almost 15 years there and it is a fantastic club to be at. It has been one of the best teams in the world for the last 15 to 20 years so it is going to be a tough game of course, but a great occasion for all the Midtjylland supporters and for the players to play against some superstars.

What kind of action do you expect from this tie?
I have not seen United live for a while but from watching on television I can see van Gaal's philosophy is based on possession, quite a lot of possession, so I would expect United to have a lot of the ball.

How do you assess Midtjylland's chances of winning this tie?
It is similar to us [Molde] against Sevilla - I have to say that it is maybe a one or two per cent chance, but there is a chance! If you have seen Dumb and Dumber, the movie, he [the character Lloyd] says there is a one in a million chance of getting the girl and he still looks at the positive that there is still a chance. You have to go in with the belief that maybe this is that miraculous day.

What kind of attitude do you expect Midtjylland to bring to the games?
Well I think of course it is going to be hard and it is going to be difficult, but the players need to go out there and give it everything. They need to go to Old Trafford and not just be a spectator and a tourist. I have played at Old Trafford against good teams and good players, and I have been surprised by the lack of belief in the opponent. They come to Old Trafford, they look at the stadium and before they knew it they were three or four nil down.

How would you describe the emotional experience of playing at Old Trafford?
For me it is home so it is the best place to be at and the best place to connect with your supporters. Obviously I am not hoping Midtjylland do well and I hope Manchester United do well. I had an unbelievable relationship with the United fans and I still have.

Finally, how dear is Manchester United to you?
It is very, very, very close to my heart and my kids' heart. I speak to lots of people from there still, me and Giggsy keep in touch. It has made my life, it has made my career, my 15 years there, so I owe everything to them and Sir Alex Ferguson.