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Manchester United and Barcelona will battle for a berth in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League as they lock horns at Old Trafford tonight.
It is inarguably the most high-profile encounter in the Europa League this week and the Red Devils will be feeling optimistic about their chances against Barcelona tonight. The first leg was one of the most entertaining matches in Europe since the turn of the year and it ended 2-2.
Barca and Manchester United are in pretty solid form in their respective leagues. Barcelona seem to be well on their way to winning the La Liga title. They hold an eight-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid right now.
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Meanwhile, Manchester United are third in the Premier League table, a commendable achievement after getting off to a disastrous start to their campaign.
They kicked off their season with two successive losses against relatively weaker opposition in Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford. But they have recovered well and Erik ten Hag has already turned them into an exciting team capable of taking the game to the best teams on the continent.
They are tipped to put one over on Barca tonight. Without further ado, let's take a look at five reasons why Manchester United will beat the Blaugrana tonight.
#5 The Old Trafford factor
Barcelona's prospects don't seem great as they head into Old Trafford after only having earned a draw in the first leg at the Spotify Camp Nou. Manchester United have been strong at home this term, losing just twice at Old Trafford in all competitions.
They are unbeaten in their last 17 home matches in all competitions. The vociferous home support will buoy them towards the finish line and beating the Red Devils at home is going to take something special.
It is also not a ground that the Catalans have found much joy at. They have just one win in five past trips to Old Trafford.
#4 Manchester United were the better team in the first leg
Had Manchester United been clinical in the first leg, they could have put the game to bed way before the final whistle was blown. Barca looked the better side in the closing stages after introducing fresh legs but until then, they hardly stood a chance.
The Catalans left acres of space behind them, which the United attackers exploited. Unfortunately, they failed to bury their chances and it came to bite them in the back. United ended up conceding two rather soft goals which pretty much came out of nothing.
If they can avoid a repeat of that and focus on making the most of their chances, Barcelona will do well not to get blown away tonight.
#3 Barcelona are without some key players for the second leg
Ousmane Dembele's absence due to a thigh injury is a major blow for Barcelona. He was unavailable in the first leg as well, but Raphinha did a great job for them on the right wing. Barca did get overrun in midfield despite having the tenacious Gavi looking to cramp their United counterparts for time and space on the ball.
Gavi was suspended for tonight's game due to an accumulation of yellow cards. Pedri sustained a hamstring injury in the first leg and will miss out as well. This means that Barca are without two of their key creators in midfield.
#2 Manchester United's pace on the counter could cause severe problems
The trouble with not having the midfield duo of Pedri and Gavi is that Barcelona will suffer from a lack of pace in the middle of the pitch. Sergio Busquets' return is very welcome but the veteran has fared well with three midfielders playing in front of him. But that is a luxury that Barca cannot indulge in tonight.
United have plenty of pace in their side and is one of the finest counter-attacking sides in Europe. Their runners will cause all sorts of problems for a laggy Barcelona midfield and defence.
Barca could have suffered more in the first leg and tonight, they look even more vulnerable to the threat that United's attackers can cause.
#1 The Marcus Rashford factor
Marcus Rashford is in the form of his life right now. He has scored 24 goals and provided nine assists in 36 appearances across all competitions for Manchester United so far this season. He has been in swashbuckling form and was also United's best player against Barcelona last week.
The Manchester United forward's pace and well-timed runs behind the defence will cause problems for the Blaugrana. He has scored 17 goals at Old Trafford in all competitions so far this season. That's the most by a player in a single season for the Red Devils since Wayne Rooney scored 19 in the 2011-12 campaign.
With his brace against Leicester City this past weekend, Rashford has now scored in all of his last seven matches at Old Trafford.
