Europa League

Robert Lewandowski has scored 45 goals in his last 37 games in European competition but this is his first time playing Manchester United. Man United have won ...

The supercomputer can’t see beyond Barcelona at home this time around either and gives them a whopping 54.1% chance of victory against Ten Hag’s side. Aside from giving United defensive solidity and nous at the base of midfield, he has also scored four goals and provided five assists during his 30 games at the club. One of the reasons Barcelona find themselves in the Europa League is because Ronald Araujo was injured during key games in the Champions League group stage – he missed three of the five games Barça played. Marcus Rashford is on a tear with eight goals in nine games in the Premier League. This is very much a team in the mould of the calm and collected Dutch manager on the bench now. Jules Kounde plays right-back but pushes forward into attack and he can do it safe in the knowledge that Araujo can cover large swathes of space behind with his NBA-like body and Olympic-like speed. The last time these two teams met was in 2019 in the Champions League quarter-final. Manchester United have won each of their last five matches in Europe. Barcelona and Manchester United have faced each other 13 times in all competitions (six Barcelona wins, three Man Utd wins, three draws). But for the first time in a long time, it feels like both teams have found managers in Xavi and Erik ten Hag who can bring sustained success to their clubs. Manager departures, mismanagement in the transfer market and misadventures both on and off the field have left Manchester United and Barcelona in a perpetual state of rebuilding. There is a level of competence at Barcelona not seen since Ernesto Valverde managed the club to back-to-back LaLiga titles from 2017 to 2018.

The new generation of football fans tuning into the Europa League blockbuster playoff between traditional European powerhouses Manchester United and ...

After running through a revolving door of coaches, United seem to have finally settled on Dutchman Erik ten Hag, who after a rather shaky start to the season with losses to Brentford and Brighton, has really turned United around. Barcelona, meanwhile, are on a 11-match unbeaten streak, with their 1-1 draw against Espanyol in December the only match they had failed to win. Since Ferguson left, United have reached the quarterfinals twice, been eliminated at the last-16 stage twice and failed to make it out of the group on two occasions. The next season would be one of the darkest memories for any Barcelona fan when they were demolished 8-2 by Bayern Munich in one match. In the 2018/19 season, they lost 0-4 at Anfield in the second leg of the semifinals having won the 1st leg at Camp Nou 3-0. Since winning the UCL in 2015, Barcelona’s Champions League form has gone from bad to worse.

The Catalans crashed out of Europe's premier competition at the first hurdle, while Manchester United finished runner-up in its Europa League group, ...

“(Xavi) has a plan, maybe it’s taken longer than he expected, but you see results step by step. Ten Hag also guided Manchester United into the EFL Cup final and the FA Cup fifth round, maximising their chances of earning their first silverware since winning the Europa League in 2017. Ten Hag has helped striker Marcus Rashford find his best form, with 13 goals in his last 15 games, and the team has climbed to third in the table. We have a better idea of what to do on the pitch and this is key to success.” The coach, who starred for Barcelona in midfield in their 2009 and 2011 Champions League final victories over Ferguson’s Red Devils, is returning his side to their former glory. Barcelona hosts Manchester United Thursday in a match-up that has twice graced the Champions League final but this week has the relative ignominy of taking place in the Europa League play-off round.

Former Manchester United striker, Dimitar Berbatov has predicted the outcome of the Europa League clash between the Red Devils and Barcelona. According to.

“Manchester United are in great form at the moment, so it’s going to be a great tie to watch. “Obviously it’s not going to be easy because Barcelona are 11 points clear at the top of La Liga and are likely to become the champions of Spain. According to the Bulgarian, United will have a tough task when they meet the multiple times Champions League champions in the Europa League Playoffs.

Erik ten Hag's team face Spanish league leaders on Thursday evening in a mouth-watering clash but the absence of financial rewards show the need to finish ...

Barca will be without Ousmane Dembele and Sergio Busquets but come into the tie having won 15 of their past 16 games in all competitions, drawing the other. The club also lost millions in commercial payments from missing out on the Champions League. Christian Eriksen is among four players out with injury, though winger Antony could be declared fit. [Real Madrid](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/real-madrid-cf) banked more than €100m for last season’s Champions League win, where they defeated [Liverpool](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/liverpool-fc) in the final, while Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt made only about €40m. Manchester United return to the scene of the greatest moment in their club’s history on Thursday night for a Europa League tie that would typically top the billing of any United will not even make that amount should they go all the way in the Europa League - although the real top prize is a guaranteed spot in next season’s Champions League.