Marcus Rashford (right) and Anthony Martial (left) scored for Manchester United
AFP News

KEY POINTS

  • Man Utd and Barcelona have played each other 13 times so far
  • Barcelona lead in the head-to-head with 6 wins
  • The two sides are set to lock horns at Camp Nou on Thursday

FC Barcelona and Manchester United are set to come face to face in the Europa League on Thursday.

Barcelona will host Man United in the first leg of their knockout playoffs clash at Camp Nou, with the reverse fixture at Old Trafford to be played later this month. The two said teams have previously faced off against each other in the Champions League, but the upcoming fixture will mark their first meeting in the Europa League, Europe's second-tier competition.

The Catalan club has a superior record in the head-to-head against Man United, winning six, drawing four, and losing three games.

For a second consecutive season, Barcelona have been demoted from the Champions League to Europa League, after failing to finish in the top two of the group stage. Earlier this season, Xavi Hernandez-managed Barcelona got just two wins out of the six group games, finishing third in Group C behind Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.

Man United, on the other hand, finished second in Group E of the Europa League this season despite winning five out of their six games. They lost the top spot to Real Sociedad because of a lower goal difference in comparison to the Spanish club and as a result, the Red Devils lost their chance of automatic qualification to the last-16 of the competition.

When is the Barcelona vs Man United Europa League knockout playoffs match?

Barcelona vs Man United Europa League match at Camp Nou will be played on Thursday (Feb. 16).

What is the kick-off time of Barcelona vs Man United?

Barcelona vs Man Utd Europa League playoff match will begin at 5:45PM GMT.

Where to watch Barcelona vs Man United?

Football fans in the UK can watch the game on BT Sport 2.

The BT Sport App will allow subscribers to access live steam across mobile devices, laptops, games consoles, tablets and more.

Team news

Man United: The Red Devils are set to travel to Camp Nou without a few key players, including midfielder Christian Eriksen, who is currently sidelined due to an ankle injury. Midfielders Donny van de Beek and Scott McTominay are also out of action due to knee and muscle injuries, respectively. The two forwards Antony and Anthony Martial will also miss the trip to Barcelona.

Meanwhile, Man United will also be without the duo of Lisandro Martinez and Marcel Sabizter because of a yellow card suspensions.

Barcelona: The Catalans will play without experienced midfielder Sergio Busquets, who sustained an ankle injury during Barcelona's 3-0 win in La Liga over Sevilla earlier this month. Apart from him, only forward Ousmane Dembele won't play the Europa League fixture as he is currently recovering from a hamstring injury.

Nevertheless, Xavi has enough options to replace Busquets and Dembele in his line-up against Man Utd. Frenkie de Jong, who has been a long-term target of the Red Devils, is expected to start alongside Pedri and Gavi in the midfield. Ansu Fati or Ferran Torres could partner Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski in the attack.

Barcelona's predicted starting XI: Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (gk); Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Andres Christensen, Jordi Alba; Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Franck Kessie; Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Gavi

Man United's predicted starting XI: David de Gea (gk); Diogo Dalot, Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia; Casemiro, Fred; Jadon Sancho, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford; Wout Weghorst

Barcelona's form in all competitions: W W W W W W

Man United's form in all competitions: W W W W D W

Prediction: Considering Barcelona are yet to lose a game at home this season and have one of the best defenses in Europe, they could seal a 1-0 win on Thursday.

Amid a busy footballing schedule, Man United are also working on a possible takeover of the club by the Qatari royal family. Man United have been facing a severe financial crisis and are believed to have lost £230 million over the past three years. The Old Trafford club's share price has doubled since the Glazers put the club up for sale in November.

As many as four serious bids are expected for Man United next week. The others are likely to be from Sir Jim Ratcliffe, USA and Saudi Arabia, reported Sky Sports.

Man United have not won a trophy since the 2016-17 season. In the campaign underway, Erik ten Hag and Co are alive in all competitions: League Cup (final), FA Cup, Premier League, and Europa League. In the 2022-23 Premier League, the Red Devils are currently placed third on the table and are five points behind leaders Arsenal.

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