Erik Ten Hag takes charge of his first European knockout tie with United this evening, and the Dutchman has been dealt arguably the toughest opponent possible in the shape of the La Liga leaders, who have risen from the mire this season. Read on for our Barcelona vs Manchester United preview.
Another taxing tie crammed into an already packed schedule pits two of the continent’s most in-form teams against each other, as Manchester United travel to Barcelona for the first leg of their Europa League knockout play-off.
Two heavyweights of world football find themselves in a somewhat unfamiliar position among the second tier of European competition, and this playoff tie is a far cry from the fabled Champions League finals of the Ferguson-Guardiola era, little over a decade ago.
Nevertheless, Ten Hag expressed the need for a ‘reset’ from both teams ahead of their hotly-anticipated meeting tonight, and the story of the season so far indicates that both United and Barcelona are headed in the right direction after meandering off-piste in recent years.
Barcelona vs Manchester United Preview
Barcelona Match Profile
Not so long ago Xavi was gliding across the Camp Nou turf with his head twisting and turning every few seconds like a bobble head figure, mapping and scanning the pitch with sonar precision.
His intelligence and tactical know-how, perhaps some of it drip-fed under the guidance of Pep Guardiola, is now evident in his transition as a manager. Much like Guardiola, he has a trifecta of artists patrolling the midfield, with Gavi and Pedri showing glimpses of their manager in his heyday, while one of the Blaugrana’s most loyal generals Sergio Busquets (injured for this tie), who played alongside Xavi in three Champions League wins, has shown little sign of slowing down.
Along with Napoli and Bayern Munich, they are among three teams in Europe’s elite five leagues to register just one defeat so far, but their most redeeming quality comes in an uncharacteristically stout defence. Long have Barca been defensively frail, and relied upon their attacking prowess and possession-based chokehold over games.
In step Xavi, who, for all his offensive knowledge, has transformed his side into a truly immovable object. Andreas Christensen and Ronaldo Araujo have formed a blossoming partnership, helping them to concede just seven goals in La Liga this term, and they head into this evening’s tie with four clean sheets in their previous five.
Top of the table.
Most goals scored.
Least goals conceded.@FCBarcelona are on a mission this season!! 🔵🔴#LaLigaSantander pic.twitter.com/iGXPjDbWeB— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) February 3, 2023
No longer are they the attractive team who are prone to rolling over at the first sign of trouble – this team has grit and guts. Seven of their 18 domestic wins have finished with a scoreline of 1-0, with a relentless high-press, selfless tracking-back and an inspired Marc-André ter Stegen between the sticks all rolled into their impeccable record.
Add to that an abundance of attacking options including a resurgent Raphinha who is now proving doubters wrong, while Robert Lewandowski has continued to be one of world football’s most prolific strikers and holds a stupendous record of 45 goals in his last 37 European games.
Predicted Starting 11: Ter Stegen; Kounde, Araujo, Christensen, Alba; Pedri, De Jong, Kessie; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Gavi
Manchester United Match Profile
Erik Ten Hag will have the tall order of putting an end to Barcelona’s 11-game winning streak, equal to Guardiola’s best ever run in Catalonia, but there are very few teams in Europe who have the momentum of Manchester United at this moment in time.
Chasing the Premier League‘s top two has proven to be a difficult task for the rest of the division, but the Red Devils refuse to be counted out and sit five points off both Arsenal and Manchester following their battle last night.
Their chances this evening rest on whether they can dismantle a Barcelona defence brimming with confidence. Luckily, Ten Hag has kick-started Marcus Rashford’s career once more, and Jules Kounde will have to attempt to deal with a man in rampant goalscoring form; he has scored in all but one of his previous nine games.
Xavi knows ball 🧠👈 pic.twitter.com/VujEEvPA1C
— GOAL (@goal) February 15, 2023
Elsewhere, Casemiro has been a transformative figure since arriving in the summer, and the Brazilian will be able to impart plenty of knowledge on tonight’s opponents having spent the better part of nine years as a direct rival.
Perhaps the most important aspect of this tie is the relative similarity between Ten Hag and Xavi. Both disciples of Pep Guardiola, both intent on playing possession-based yet pragmatic football, and both full of praise and mutual respect for one and other. It is unclear who heads into tonight’s affair with the upper-hand, but expect it to be decided on wafer-thin margins.
Predicted Starting 11: De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Shaw, Malacia; Casemiro, Fred; Sancho, Fernandes, Rashford; Weghorst
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