Manchester United will clash with Leeds United in a pre-season friendly on Wednesday night, but the fixture will not be played in England. Instead, the match takes place at Croke Park in Dublin, a venue with a capacity of over 82,000 spectators.
Why is the match being played in Ireland?
The game is being held in Dublin mainly to engage with the massive fan bases that both clubs have across Ireland. Local supporters rarely get the chance to see their teams in action live without travelling across the Irish Sea. Sponsors and respective club media highlighted the huge demand from Irish supporters as the main driving factor.
Croke Park is staging a historic occasion by hosting a club association football match for the first time, whilst also marking the stadium's first major football match since Ireland played France in November 2009.
Team news for both sides
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has welcomed key stars back to the squad following post-World Cup summer breaks, including Lisandro Martinez, Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui. United have a few long-term injuries to contend with, too.
For Leeds United, Gabriel Gudmundsson (hamstring) and Ilia Gruev (meniscus) are ruled out, whereas Lucas Perri and Noah Okafor remain listed as doubtful for the fixture.
Pre-season form
Heading into this match at Croke Park, Manchester United have built steady momentum on the pitch by recording two wins and a draw during their recent pre-season preparations. Meanwhile, Leeds United followed a defeat to Wrexham with three wins on the bounce, including one over Liverpool.
