Even though Barcelona will be the favourites in this tie, Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United cannot be taken for granted.
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Barcelona welcome Manchester United to Camp Nou for a blockbuster Europa League playoff tie on Thursday night. This is undoubtedly the most-anticipated fixture of the round. Ever since the draw was made, both sets of supporters – and neutral fans – were eagerly awaiting for this date to arrive. The wait is finally over. Erik ten Hag will take his red army to Barcelona for a mouth-watering battle against the in-form Spanish side in what promises to be a pulsating contest.
A lot of credit must be given to Xavi for the impeccable form displayed by Barcelona in recent weeks. Their unceremonious exit from Champions League Group C now seems a distant memory. After finishing third, Barcelona had dropped down to Europa League. However, in La Liga they have been almost unstoppable. They have 56 points from 21 games to comfortably sit above the rest in the standings. Barcelona have a 11-point cushion over second-placed Real Madrid but they have played a game more.
On the other hand, ten Hag’s revolution is at full swing at Old Trafford. The Dutchman has already won the hearts of the Reds faithful following the promising performances by his players so far on the pitch. Against all odds, Manchester United are sitting third in the Premier League table with 46 points from 23 games – not where many expected them to be at this stage of the season. Even though Barcelona will be the favourites in this tie, ten Hag’s United cannot be taken for granted.
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Both sides will miss some key players for this contest. Barcelona received a big blow recently when it was revealed that their ever-reliable midfielder Sergio Busquets will be out for both legs. The Spanish midfielder will be joined on the sidelines by Ousmane Dembele. It will also be interesting to see the reception Frenkie de Jong would get from the visiting supporters following his failed move to Old Trafford last summer.
Meanwhile, Manchester United have the majority of absentee list. They will be without midfielders Christian Eriksen, Donny van de Beek and Scott McTominay. Attackers Anthony Martial and and Antony will also reportedly join them on the sidelines. Besides, United will miss their star defender Lisandro Martinez and Bayern Munich loanee Marcel Sabitzer through suspension. In a big relief though ex-Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro will be available to face his former nemesis following his recent Premier League suspension.
Barcelona possible line-up: Ter Stegen, Kounde, Araujo, Christensen, Alba, Kessie, Pedri, De Jong, Gavi, Raphinha, Lewandowski
Manchester United possible line-up: De Gea, Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Shaw, Casemiro, Fred, Fernandes, Sancho, Garnacho, Rashford
Barcelona
| Opponents | Score |
| Villarreal | 0-1 (W) |
| Sevilla | 3-0 (W) |
| Betis | 1-2 (W) |
| Girona | 0-1 (W) |
| Real Sociedad | 1-0 (W) |
Manchester United
| Opponents | Score |
| Leeds United | 0-2 (W) |
| Leeds United | 2-2 |
| Crystal Palace | 2-1 (W) |
| Nottingham Forest | 2-0 (W) |
| Reading | 3-1 (W) |
| Last 5 matches (all competitions) | Results |
| Barcelona beat Manchester United | 3-0 |
| Manchester United lose to Barcelona | 0-1 |
| Barcelona beat Manchester United | 1-0 |
| Barcelona lose to Manchester United | 1-3 |
| Barcelona beat Manchester United | 1-0 |
The UEFA Europa League match between Barcelona and Manchester United will take place at Camp Nou on Thursday at 11:15 pm IST.
For football fans in India, live coverage of the UEFA Europa League matches will be available on the Sony Sports network. Besides, fans can also live stream the matches via Jio TV. Meanwhile, those in Spain can catch the live action between Barcelona and Manchester United on Movistar Liga de Campeones, Movistar+; and BTSport.com, BT Sport App, BT Sport 2, TalkSport Radio UK, BBC Radio 5 Live in the United Kingdom.
