The Barcelona side faces a tough path to the knockout rounds as they prepare for a decisive second leg against the old rivals, Manchester United. The upcoming tie at Old Trafford pits Xavi Hernández’s squad against a historically resilient opponent, following a 2-2 draw in the first encounter at the Spotify Camp Nou that left the contest wide open for the Europa League round of 32.
ALL ABOUT MANCHESTER UNITED VS BARCELONA IN THE EUROPA LEAGUE 2022-2023
Barça without key stars
Barcelona arrives at the Theatre of Dreams dealing with significant injuries and suspension. Ousmane Dembélé is sidelined for several weeks, while Pedri González also misses action after sustaining a thigh injury in the first leg. On top of that, Pablo Gavi sees a European suspension after his third yellow card in the competition, ruling him out of the return fixture.
Manager Xavi will need to improvise in midfield. Sergio Busquets and Frenkie de Jong will be unavailable, so Sergi Roberto and Franck Kessié are set to step in. In defense, Jordi Alba and Ronald Araújo could return after missing the Cádiz match, with Andreas Christensen and Jules Koundé also in the lineup. In goal, Marc-Andre ter Stegen remains the trusted presence between the sticks, while Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha will lead the attack. Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres compete for the other attacking spot, likely filling in for Dembélé’s absence.
The United, with some doubts
Manchester United will also push to seal the progress at Old Trafford. Manager Erik ten Hag has several uncertain selections, with questions over players like Harry Maguire and Antony alongside Martial and McTominay, who logged minutes in the Premier League win over Leicester. The left-back position is a real talking point as Ten Hag weighs options between Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, with Lisandro Martínez ready to return to the defensive line. In midfield, Casemiro and Fred provide ballast, while Bruno Fernandes and Jadon Sancho supply creativity for the forward line, aiming to feed the in-form Wout Weghorst and the prolific Marcus Rashford, who tallies a remarkable goal count this season.
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ALIGNMENTS Manchester United vs Barcelona
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Lisandro Martínez, Shaw; Casemiro, Fred; Fernandes, Weghorst, Sancho; Rashford.
FC Barcelona (4-3-3): Ter Stegen; Kounde, Araujo, Christensen, Alba; Roberto, Busquets, De Jong; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Fati/Torres.