Manchester United and Barcelona have put on a show the last time they met, with the last Thursday’s match ending 2-2 at Camp Nou. This time, the Catalan side is coming to Old Trafford, where we will see the conclusion of a mouthwatering matchup. Erik Ten Hag’s side will take on Xavi Hernandez’s team in the Europa League knockout round play-offs second leg. The winner will get into the round of 16 and here is everything you need to prepare yourself for the match ahead.
Team News
There are good news for Man United ahead of this match. Casemiro is once again back into the team, after serving his third and final match following the domestic suspension. But the Brazilian is not the only one. Lisandro Martinez and Marcel Sabitzer will also be in contention, after they missed the first match against Barcelona due to continental bans. The likes of Christian Eriksen and Donny van de Beek remain long-term absentees, while Anthony Martial still has hip problems which are keeping him on the sidelines. The good news are that Antony and Harry Maguire will be fit and in contention to face Barca in the second leg.
As for Barcelona, they have problems of their own. Gavi is not going to play in this one due to the accumulation of yellow cards, while Pedri sustained a hamstring injury last Thursday against United and will have to sit this one as well. Ousmane Dembele is also out, due to a thigh injury, while it remains to be seen what will be Sergio Busquets’ role after not playing against Cadiz last weekend. He just recovered from an ankle injury and was an unused substitute.
Form Guide
Manchester United are hitting some serious form not just recently, but across the majority of the season. Following their 2-2 draw against Leeds in the Premier League, they have defeated the same team 2-0, before getting a 2-2 draw in Barcelona, in the first leg of this tie. It was a positive performance from the Red Devils who were much closer to winning at Camp Nou, which probably explains why Erik Ten Hag’s team put in another great performance last weekend. They hosted Leicester in first of the four consecutive home matches and dispatched them 3-0, with two more goals from the brilliant Marcus Rashford.
Barcelona, on the other side, are doing brilliant things in La Liga. they defeated Cadiz 2-0 last weekend at home, keeping a safe lead of eight points ahead of Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga standings. How well Xavi Hernandez’s side is doing shows they only drew twice and lost once, conceding mere seven goals. But it is in European competitions where this team was often vulnerable, including the first match against United.
Predicted Outcome
It is tough picking the winner between these two sides and we could be in for drama. While Barca will miss their midfield duo of Pedri and Gavi, they still have not gotten the best out of Robert Lewandowski. That is why we predict Manchester United and Barcelona will draw this one 1-1, before Man United progressing after extra-time or penalty shoot-out.
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