Europa League Play-off 1st Leg

Barcelona 2:2 Manchester United

Camp Nou

Kick-off
Thu, 16 February 2023 @ 5:45pm GMT
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Discussion Your Lineup Prediction

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    Blood Mage said:
    De Gea
    AWB - Varane - Shaw - Malacia
    Casemiro - Fred
    Bruno - Mainoo - Sancho
    Rashford
    ​
    I think we'll need to flood the midfield so it's fecking shit that Sabitzer and McTominay are unavailable. I think we'll need Mainoo or Iqbal in there.
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    There’s also Sancho who he played through the middle before which I feel is more likely than the kids.

    Realistically I think he sticks Weghorst there to press Frenkie.
     
    The Barca that went out of the group stages is a significantly improved team since then. Their story is not very different to ours in that we have been steadily improving and taking on the managers vision building first with a very solid defensive base but, an attack that is still not firing on all cylinders yet.

    It's not going to an easy game for either side. In the past we would have conceded possession and just defended but, with ETH I think it's going to be a great test for him to see how well we can possess and control the game with the ball as much without it against a side that is very good with dominating possession and pressing. The one thing that will determine that though is whether we get the numbers in midfield to match them, otherwise Fred and Case are going to run around and get no where near the ball.
     
    They will probably trash us. So much quality in their squad.
     
    AngeloHenriquez said:
    Genuinely see no reason to play Weghorst, they will play a high line and look to dominate possession, we need quick transitions and runners and Rashford up top is 100x better than Weghorst for this game
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    Villareal had 54% possession. I doubt we will sit deep and counter.

    In transition, WW has held up and laid off the ball for us.
     
    De Gea
    Wan Bissaka, Maguire, Varane, Shaw, Malacia
    Casemiro, Fred
    Bruno
    Weghorst, Rashford
     
    ----------------------DDG-------------------------
    AWB --- Varane --- Shaw --- Malacia
    --------- Case ---------- Fred -----------------
    --------------------Bruno--------------------------
    Sancho------Weghorst-----Rashford
     
    Any reason why we don't have the 8:00 PM GMT (3:00 PM Eastern) kickoff time for this? One would expect better viewership across Europe with the usual later kickoff time.
     
    Is sabitzer ruled out for this one? Good job we have cas back then.
     
    NLunited said:
    You have five defenders, that won‘t happen.
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    I remember when we once played about 7 defenders against Milan under fergie and we won that game :lol: But ye I agree… doubt that will happen.
     
    Jacob said:
    They will probably trash us. So much quality in their squad.
    Click to expand...
    They was so much quality in psgs squad compared to our awful squad when we beat them and knocked them out under ole.
     
    groovyalbert said:
    More chance of seeing Lindelof there before either of them I reckon.
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    Judging by the fact that it was Lindelof who came on for Sabitzer in the mid-week game against Leeds, you’d be correct. ETH is not a maverick, he doesn’t make such unpredictable moves as giving first starts to players in crucial European knock out ties. Everything you will see in that game, he will have tried before.

    Given the list of absentees, I predict the following:

    De Gea
    Dalot - Varane - Shaw - Malacia
    Casemiro - Fred
    Sancho - Bruno - Rashford
    Weghorst

    Dalot is generally preferred to AWB by Ten Hag, he starts when fit. If a midfielder is dead on his legs, I expect it will be Lindelof who comes on, as before. If Malacia is struggling against Dembele, or against a fresh Rafinha in the 2nd half, it will be Maguire who comes on for him and Shaw will move to LB. Maguire is more trusted at CB than Lindelof and the latter will likely be saved in case he’s needed at CM like I said. Finally, Garnacho will probably come on in the 2nd half either for Sancho or for Weghorst, the latter change allowing Rashford to move up top.
     
    RedDevilQuebecois said:
    Any reason why we don't have the 8:00 PM GMT (3:00 PM Eastern) kickoff time for this? One would expect better viewership across Europe with the usual later kickoff time.
    Click to expand...
    TV + it's in Spain so 8pm GMT is 9pm there
     
    mancsarered said:
    ----------------------DDG-------------------------
    AWB --- Varane --- Shaw --- Malacia
    --------- Case ---------- Fred -----------------
    --------------------Bruno--------------------------
    Sancho------Weghorst-----Rashford
    Click to expand...
    TBH if that’s how we line up then my only real concern would be AWB at right back. Although he’s improving under Ten Hag, he still has a tendency to fold in big games.
     
    RopersReturn said:
    TBH if that’s how we line up then my only real concern would be AWB at right back. Although he’s improving under Ten Hag, he still has a tendency to fold in big games.
    Click to expand...
    Think it’s better we have a defensive full back against these though who’ll attack us with the wide players.
     
    A nice change in that I have no real preference in whether we win or lose this match. Win and we’ve got a great chance to go all the way in the Europa, lose and we have a far more manageable schedule with our limited squad. Just hoping we can go toe to toe with them.
     
    DJ_21 said:
    They was so much quality in psgs squad compared to our awful squad when we beat them and knocked them out under ole.
    Click to expand...

    Yes but that was 1 in 20 games scenario, Buffon made a big mistake, Kehrer passed the ball right to Lukaku leaving him 1 on 1 with the gk and a hopeless shot by Dalot hit Kimpembe's hand for the penalty.
    We were incredibly lucky in that game.
     
    adexkola said:
    :lol: when you put it like that

    It would take a serious collapse from here IMO for both Newcastle and one of Chelsea/Tottenham/Liverpool to make it ahead of us, I'm strangely confident we will finish in the top 4 so why not give it a go in the EL, and snag a top seed/trophy in the process?

    But I acknowledge my confidence is a bit irrational...
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    I agree that it would take a collapse but I saw quite a few of such collapses from United over the years now...

    I still want to beat Barcelona and go on to win the EL - I'd definitely prefer it to, say, the FA Cup - but I won't be too disheartened if they go through. Especially because I honestly expect them to win anyway, regardless of how much we want to prioritise this competition. They are simply better.
     
    fergiewherearethou said:
    Yes but that was 1 in 20 games scenario, Buffon made a big mistake, Kehrer passed the ball right to Lukaku leaving him 1 on 1 with the gk and a hopeless shot by Dalot hit Kimpembe's hand for the penalty.
    We were incredibly lucky in that game.
    Click to expand...
    Luck is sometimes all it takes my friend. We may have a bit of luck against Barca hopefully. Can’t see us winning but if we can somehow stay in it until they come back to OT then we have a chance.
     
    With Dembele out, they basically have no pace in their front line and their threat to run in behind will effectively be non-existent.
     
    Calidad said:
    With Dembele out, they basically have no pace in their front line and their threat to run in behind will effectively be non-existent.
    Click to expand...

    I won't exclude Lewa, this guy is dangerous.

    Hope Rapha could give us some calmness and free stress game
     
    Varane and casemiro will be well up for this one you'd think from their Real Madrid days.
     
    They will for sure see a lot of the ball in this game. We need to play a blinder defensively to get a good result for next game. Hoping to see Casemiro come out like a bat out of hell for this. And somehow stay on the pitch for 90min…
     
    Watch them regularly and don't think they should be considered favourites, feel like people see the name and look at La Liga and assume they're elite again but it's more a mix of them being good (not amazing) and La Liga really going to the dogs. 50/50 game in my eyes, we're still getting to grips tactically with ETH but we will be able to keep the ball against them.
     
    The overriding feeling I have is that United are terrible against Spanish teams.

    But what a game to have this week...the teams and fans should just enjoy it!
     
    Shame about Martinez being missing for a tough game like this where we'll probably have to do a good amount of defending. Had Sabitzer not been suspended as well, I'd have been tempted to have had him, Fred and Casimero all in the team with Bruno moving to the right, Sancho left and Rashford through the middle.

    As it is, presuming the only 'returnee' is Casemiro, then I'd probably go for...

    De Gea

    Dalot
    Varane
    Shaw
    Malacia

    Casemiro
    Fred

    Sancho
    Bruno
    Rashford

    Weghorst
     
    What the feck is it with these EL kick off times!?

    Going to be a tough game, but can’t wait. Hope ETH fires a rocket up all their arses and they come flying out the block.

    Sancho to properly reintroduce himself and Casemiro nicely back for it.
     
    Edwards6 said:
    Just think that might be why he gave Maguire and Shaw a game at CB yesterday to get them ready for Barca plus Varane will definitely start
    Click to expand...
    I think there's almost zero chance EtH will play 5 at the back ever, let alone in this game.
     
    Have about the same level of excitement as when we faced them in preseason under Van Gaal.
     
    Edwards6 said:
    Just think that might be why he gave Maguire and Shaw a game at CB yesterday to get them ready for Barca plus Varane will definitely start
    Click to expand...
    I think it was to prepare Shaw and rest Varane. I guess Shaw will start as CBs but who knows after his shitty performance last game.
     
    De Gea
    Dalot Varane Shaw Malacia
    Casemiro Fred
    Sancho Bruno Rashford
    Weghorst
     
    Given that Spanish sides have generally been a thorn on our side and our record against Barca, I think they will edge us out once again, unfortunately. But I'm not a Nostradamus by any means.

    I hope our former RM players especially can reignite their flames and give 110%.
     
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Post-match discussion

Man of the Match

Marcus Rashford image Marcus Rashford 72% of 300 votes

Runners-up

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Player Ratings

6.6 Total Average Rating

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Score Predictions

55,94,84
  • Man Utd win
  • Barcelona win
  • Draw

Detailed Results

  • 27% Barcelona 1:1 Man Utd
  • 16% Barcelona 2:1 Man Utd
  • 12% Barcelona 1:2 Man Utd
  • 12% Barcelona 2:0 Man Utd
  • 6% Barcelona 0:1 Man Utd
  • 5% Barcelona 1:0 Man Utd
  • 4% Barcelona 0:0 Man Utd
  • 4% Barcelona 2:2 Man Utd
  • 4% Barcelona 3:1 Man Utd
  • 3% Barcelona 3:0 Man Utd
  • 3% Barcelona 0:2 Man Utd
  • 1% Barcelona 1:3 Man Utd
  • 1% Barcelona 0:3 Man Utd
  • 0% Barcelona 4:0 Man Utd
  • 0% Barcelona 1:4 Man Utd
  • 0% Barcelona 5:0 Man Utd
  • 0% Barcelona 0:9 Man Utd
  • 0% Barcelona 5:1 Man Utd
  • 0% Barcelona 9:1 Man Utd
Compiled from 233 predictions.
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Match Stats

  1. Barcelona
  2. Man Utd
Possession
61% 39%
Shots
18 18
Shots on Target
8 5
Corners
8 5
Fouls
10 12

Referee

Maurizio Mariani

Man Utd Lineup

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