The UEFA Europa League is back in action with another round of matches this week as Barcelona lock horns with Erik ten Hag's Manchester United side at Old Trafford on Thursday.
Manchester United vs Barcelona Preview
Manchester United are currently in third place in the Premier League standings and have been in excellent form under Erik ten Hag this season. The Red Devils eased past Leicester City by a 3-0 scoreline in their previous game and will be confident ahead of this fixture.
Barcelona, on the other hand, are at the top of the La Liga table at the moment and have also been impressive this season. The Catalan outfit secured a 2-0 victory against Cadiz over the weekend and will look to achieve a similar result at Old Trafford this week.
Manchester United vs Barcelona Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Barcelona have a good record against Manchester United on the European front and have won six out of the 14 matches played between the two teams, as opposed to Manchester United's three victories.
- Barcelona have lost four of their five European matches away from home against Manchester United but did manage to win their most recent such game by a 1-0 margin in 2019.
- Manchester United have lost only two of their last 11 games at home in Europe but have suffered both these defeats at the hands of Spanish opponents.
- Marcus Rashford has averaged a goal every 76 minutes for Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League - the best scoring rate in the competition so far.
- Since the start of the 2019-20 season, Robert Lewandowski has scored 38 goals in 32 appearances in European competitions - more than any other player during this period.
Manchester United vs Barcelona Prediction
Barcelona have stepped up to the plate under Xavi but have been inconsistent on the European front. With Pedri and Gavi unavailable for this game, the likes of Frenkie de Jong and Sergio Busquets will have to bring their experience to the fore at Old Trafford.
Manchester United have been lethal in transition this season and have developed a formidable identity under Erik ten Hag. Barcelona are further along in their process, however, and hold a slight upper hand going into this game.
Prediction: Manchester United 1-2 Barcelona
Manchester United vs Barcelona Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Barcelona
Tip 2: Game to have over 2.5 goals - Yes
Tip 3: Manchester United to score first - Yes
Tip 4: Robert Lewandowski to score - Yes