The play-off lineup in the UEFA Europa League has been confirmed today. However, the play-off match between Manchester United and FC Barcelona has captured all the attention.
Spanish team FC Barcelona failed to qualify for the Round of 16 in the Champions League. Therefore, they have been dropped to the Europa League. On the other hand, Manchester United finished the Europa League group stage, becoming the 2nd team. Due to this, they must play the play-off round against Barcelona to qualify for the Round of 16. However, the two legs will be played on February 16 and 23 respectively.
Records & Recent Form
Barcelona have a good record against the English side, Manchester United. They played 13 games against Man United, where Barca lost only three games. Moreover, FC Barcelona won their last four consecutive meetings with Manchester United.
Barcelona signed more players in the last summer transfer window than any other top club. In the first few games in La Liga, Barcelona played superbly under their manager, Xavi Hernandes. But things started changing when Barcelona started their campaign in the UEFA Champions League. They won only two of their six games in the group stage of the Champions League. Furthermore, their defensive weakness was exposed after being eliminated from the UCL.
On the other hand, Manchester United started their journey in the new season with two defeats in a row. But they improved much in a few months under the manager, Erik Ten Hag. They are still inconsistent in the league. Therefore, it won’t be an easy task to defeat Barcelona.
Xavi’s reaction
Barca manager Xavi Hernandes has had his thoughts after the draw. He said, “We will have to compete, going to Manchester against a really top rival and a historic side which has grown a lot with the arrival of (Erik) Ten Hag.
Xavi stated, “[They have] great individual players, and it is the toughest rival once again in the Europa League. We will have time to analyse it, they are a strong team in both defence and attack, not just for Cristiano Ronaldo, but other players [too]. Manchester United are a historic club and they also need to win. Two big teams and it’s going to be a massive task.”