Manchester united head to head performance against Barcelona

Blaugrana and Red Devils, two European giants, will compete at Old Trafford on Thursday for the second leg of the play-offs.

A blockbuster encounter between two European giants takes place at Old Trafford on Friday night as Barcelona face Manchester United in the second leg of the Europa League playoffs. Barcelona will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to 19 games when they face the Red Devils. The first leg at the Camp Nou turned out to be one of the games of the season. Barcelona initially took the lead shortly after the break before needing a late equalizer to make it 2–2 on aggregate. Xavi’s side set up for this fixture with a 2-0 win over Cádiz on Sunday, a result that restored their eight-point lead at the top of the LaLiga table. Manchester United will try to qualify for the knockout stages of the Europa League. Erik ten Hag’s side enter this competition after overcoming a slow start against Leicester City on Sunday to eventually prevail with a 3-0 result at Old Trafford.

Begins:

Thursday, February 23, 2023; 8:00 p.m. (CET)

Friday 02/24/2023; 1h30 (REAL)

Barcelona form (all competitions): W-W-W-D-W

Manchester United form (all competitions): W-D-W-D-W

Players to watch

Barcelona: Raphinha

Raphinha’s versatility means he can play on either wing but can also operate in the number 10 role when needed. He has incredible ball control, dribbling ability and agility. Although he is heavily left-footed, he isn’t afraid to take his right foot down the line, which makes defending even more difficult. Not only is he an excellent playmaker, but he’s also calm and composed in front of goal. His goal threat isn’t just limited to the penalty area, he can also shoot from outside. He was the best player on the pitch for Barcelona in the first leg.

Manchester United: Luke Shaw

First, he became an excellent ball carrier, constantly bringing United down the pitch with powerful, propelling runs from deep, playing the modern role of an inverted full-back, running away from the ball and over/undercutting the left wing more often than not like ever before, he does it with great intensity. He’s usually good at blocking pieces and knows smartly when to take on a challenge. His performance as a central defender in the absence of Lisandro Martinez was remarkable.

Match facts

Marcus Rashford has averaged a goal every 76 minutes for United this season in the UEFA Europa League. United have lost just two of their last 11 European games at Old Trafford.

Robert Lewandoski scored 38 goals in 32 appearances in major European competitions.

Team and injury news

Barcelona suffered a setback when midfielder Pedri was injured during the first period of a 2-2 draw with Manchester United in the Europa League at the Camp Nou.

Pedri was able to leave the pitch on his own, but after tests revealed the severity of the injury, he now faces an extended period of time out injured. Barcelona have already lost Ousmane Dembele to injury, and now another important player has left the squad. Gavi was also booked in the first leg and will miss the second leg. Xavi has confirmed midfielder Sergio Busquets will be fit enough to face Manchester United in the second leg of the Europa League Round of 16 second leg.

As for Man United, Donny van de Beek (knee), Christian Eriksen (ankle) and Anthony Martial (hip) will all be ruled out through injury.

“There’s still some training left but I expect Harry Maguire and Antony dos Santos to be available,” the manager told reporters. “Anthony Martial is unavailable. “He’s back on the pitch, but not in team training, so we’ll be waiting for him.”

Lisandro Martinez will be able to play the second leg because he was disqualified in the first leg.

Head to Head Performance 

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