Manchester United will welcome Barcelona to Old Trafford on Thursday night in a make-or-break clash as far as the European aspirations of both clubs are concerned. The winner of the encounter is expected to progress to the Round of 16 stages of the competition and, indeed, the stakes could not be higher than this.
The two clubs put on a show last week, with 90 minutes of incredible action, ending in a 2-2 draw, a fair reflection of just how close the two sides were on the night. Needless to say, the game is far from decided although it is Manchester United who has the advantage ahead of Thursday night's fixture.
Currently, the only Premier League in contention to win the quadruple this season, the Red Devils have proved to be a handful for whichever opposition they have come up against in recent months. Over the weekend, they added to their bid as the dark horses of the Premier League with a resounding 3-0 victory over Leicester City at Old Trafford. The result placed them just three points behind second-placed Manchester City and with Sunday's EFL Cup final against Newcastle United also beckoning, there is enough for United fans to smile about.
Ten Hag and his charges will approach Thursday's affair unbeaten in their last eight matches across all competitions. They have been remarkable in their last 15 home games as well, as they have managed 14 wins and a draw. Nevertheless, they will be required to improve their form against Barcelona as they have been unable to beat the Catalans in their last five competitive matches.
For Barcelona, the magnitude of the opportunity to redeem themselves in Europe is huge considering how their campaign in the Champions League turned out. The Blaugrana failed to reach the Round of 16 for the second successive season, finishing behind Bayern Munich and Inter Milan. However, they have been impressive in domestic football, winning the Spanish Super Cup while rising to the top of La Liga.
The objective to lift a European trophy this season still remains and it is as a result of this that Xavi's charges will work towards getting a good result at Old Trafford. Although they will be missing a host of key players to injuries and suspensions, there is the optimism that Los Blaugrana will provide the same level of action and intentsity as they did against the Red Devils at Camp Nou.
Key stats: Manchester United vs Barcelona
-
In their last 11 European matches against Barcelona, Manchester United has only managed one victory (D5 L5), going winless in their last five (D1 L4).
-
Barcelona has previously met Manchester United five times in away games in European competition. They lost all four of their initial matches (D2 L2) until winning 1-0 on their most recent trip in April 2019. (UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg).
-
In their last 11 European games at Old Trafford, Manchester United has only lost twice (W6 D3), however both of those losses came to Spanish teams: 0-1 losses to Atletico Madrid in March 2022 and 0-1 losses to Real Sociedad in September 2022.
-
Marcus Rashford has scored four goals for Manchester United this season, averaging one per 76 minutes in the UEFA Europa League. This is the best ratio of any player who has played at least 300 minutes in the competition.
-
Robert Lewandowski of Barcelona has scored 38 goals in 32 games in major European competition since the start of the 2019–20 season, more than any other player in this time span.
Team news: Manchester United vs Barcelona
Lisandro Martinez and Marcel Sabitzer have returned from their continental suspensions that they served in the first leg and will be available for selection for Manchester United. Casemiro will also rejoin the team after serving his three-game domestic suspension, which is now over.
While Anthony Martial is currently out with a hip injury and Christian Eriksen and Donny van de Beek are still making long-term progress, Ten Hag is optimistic that both Harry Maguire and Antony will be ready for the second match.
For Barca, the good news is that Ronald Araujo has returned from his domestic suspension, and Sergio Busquets was an unused substitute against Cadiz after recovering from an ankle ailment. Nevertheless, Ousmane Dembele will also be out of the running for Thursday's second leg due to a thigh injury. Both Gavi and Pedri will be absent for the clash.
Broadcast information: Manchester United vs Barcelona
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
