We have seen consistent good performances from Manchester united in the last few matches of the Europa league. Despite not doing well in the Premier league , Manchester united have played quite well on the Europa league platform. However , the problem has been that Manchester United's opponents have been relatively weak. I am waiting to see if United's players can play well against strong teams. If United can dominate and win against Real sociedad, I would say that Manchester United are worthy contenders for the Europa league title this year.
The closer to the final, the stronger the team they will face, that is a certainty, because other teams will try harder to win the title in the European League. Yes, Manchester United's performance in the European League is not as bad as their performance in the English League, but as you said, the opponents they faced in the first phase were relatively weak so it was more profitable for them to be able to get points. It will certainly be something different when we enter the knockout stages, they must be ready for stronger opponents.
They will face Real Sociedad in Spain and the first match will be difficult away. Also, Real Sociedad, who they will face, is one of the strong teams in Spain. They are strong enough to beat Manchester United, who are not in form. Therefore, if they want to advance to the next round, Manchester United should not lose in Spain. They can win the match in England, but their job is really difficult in Spain.