After a gap of over three months, the UEFA Europa League resumes this week with the Round of 16 Qualifiers. Barcelona and Manchester United will lock horns at the Spotify Camp Nou on Thursday in a bid to progress further in the tournament.
This will be the first time that the two legendary teams will meet in Europe's secondary club competition, emphasizing how far they have fallen from their glory days in recent years. However, both clubs have shown promising signs this season, indicating a return to their former selves.
Barcelona finished third in their Champions League group, dropping to the Europa League for the second consecutive year. Still, they have been in top form domestically, having recently won the Spanish Super Cup and enjoying a sizable lead over Real Madrid atop La Liga. They come into the game on the back of an impressive 16-game unbeaten run, winning 15 of those games and drawing one.
Although Manchester United cannot match Barcelona's incredible streak, they have shown significant improvement under Ten Hag, reaching the Carabao Cup final and progressing in the FA Cup. They have lost only one of their last 15 matches across all competitions and are just five points behind Arsenal in the Premier League standings.
Failure to usurp Real Sociedad in the Europa League group stage resulted in Thursday's test with Barcelona and United should still have enough firepower to make a good case for themselves at Camp Nou. Their last visit to the venue in the Champions League in 2019 resulted in a disappointing 3-0 defeat. So far, they have lost each of their last four competitive meetings with the Blaugrana.
All in all, Thursday's fixture promises to be a thrilling encounter, with Manchester United hoping for a favorable result to put the first leg to bed.
Key stats: Barcelona vs Manchester United
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Barcelona and Manchester United have faced each other 13 times in various competitions, with Barcelona winning six times, Manchester United winning three times, and four games ending in draws.
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In their recent matches, Barcelona have won the last four meetings against Manchester United, and the last club to beat Manchester United in five consecutive matches was Liverpool between 2000 and 2002.
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Manchester United have won their last five European matches, and only once before have they won six consecutive games in European competitions, which was in the first six outings of the 1965/66 season in the European Cup.
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In contrast, Barcelona has lost five of their last 11 European matches at Camp Nou, with two wins and four draws. Between 2002 and 2020, Barcelona had only five such defeats across 101 games.
Team News: Barcelona vs Manchester United
Barcelona will go into Thursday's encounter without Ousmane Dembele and Sergio Busquets. Aside the pair, Xavi should have the rest of the squad at his disposal.
For Manchester United, Lisandro Martinez and Marcel Sabitzer will be unavailable for the upcoming game due to a one-match suspension. However, Casemiro is eligible to play as his ban only applies to domestic competitions.
There are doubts regarding the fitness of Antony, Anthony Martial, and Scott McTominay, while Christian Eriksen and Donny van de Beek will be absent due to long-term injuries.
Broadcast information: Barcelona vs Manchester United
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