The UEFA Champions League returns to Old Trafford as Manchester United host Barcelona in what promises to be an epic encounter between two teams vying for European supremacy once again. Barcelona will be looking to reclaim their throne at the top while Manchester United will look to continue their fairy tale after a rollercoaster season which looked bleak under José Mourinho but has turned around with the inspirational Ole Gunnar Solskjær.
Both teams have reached the quarter-final stage under different circumstances. Barcelona dealt with a spirited Lyon side that put up some resistance but ultimately failed to overcome the Catalan giants.
Manchester United, however, came back from the brink and completed mission impossible when they managed to beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 at the Parc des Prince with an injury-time penalty from teenage sensation Marcus Rashford. No one expected the English giants to progress through to the next stage but Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s positive effect on the team has imbued a level of confidence bereft since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson.
The quarter-final represents a chance for both teams to showcase their talents on the grand stage. There are no easy matches but Barcelona will be hoping for a positive result at Old Trafford after their opponents loss to the mighty Wolves last week. Manchester United’s form has dipped of late but they have more often than not come alive when the big games come around.
Barcelona represents another opportunity for Manchester United to add on to their impressive string of performances. Barcelona will look to carry the momentum from their hard-fought victory over Atlético Madrid on Saturday and hope to put in the same level of performance tonight. This feature will preview the strengths and weaknesses that both teams can exploit and expose.
“Physically they are really strong and they know how to put pressure on their opponents. They have players who are physically very powerful, and they can be dangerous strategically as well.
“This match is a classic in European football. Barcelona have never won at Old Trafford I believe and we are going to try and change that.” – Ernesto Valverde
Small margins
The clash between the two European heavyweights is one that will be decided by the finer details. Manchester United can ill afford to allow Barcelona any extra space with their elaborate and technical players lurking to pounce on any given opportunities given the frailties of United’s defensive line.
Since coming on as caretaker and now permanent manager, Solskjær has overseen a turnaround of results guiding the club to 14 wins in 19 matches. Granted, they have suffered three losses at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal and Wolves the latter two results coming in successive weeks but the overall feeling around the club is one of resurgence.
Manchester United will look to take notes from Barcelona’s victory against Atlético Madrid. Even though Diego Simeone’s side lost, they frustrated the Catalan army for well over an hour as they sat deep and soaked up pressure. Atlético Madrid may have ridden their luck at times but Simeone almost pulled off an unlikely draw.
Manchester United and Solskjær will revert to their 3-1 away win at Paris Saint-Germain. The Norwegian coach will look to repeat the tactics used there whereby he allowed Paris Saint-Germain possession and encouraged his team to beat them on the break. Barcelona will be dominant and claim heavy ball possession and tire Manchester United, but there will be spaces for the Red Devils to exploit, mainly out wide.
Despite playing against 10 men, Barcelona struggled to breakdown a stubborn Atlético Madrid defence and it took a lapse in concentration from Thomas Partey that allowed Suárez to score the first goal. Manchester United will have to face this onslaught for 180 minutes but may be inspired by the weekend’s events and look to replicate the Madrid team’s game plan.
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Manchester United
Solskjær has tinkered with his team tactically looking for the right formation, and has seemingly settled on a 4-3-1-2 having used it five times already. The Norwegian manager has used up to five different formations and adjusts his team based on injuries but the 4-3-1-2 formation looks to suit the players he has at his disposal.
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