Aheed Abrar
Erik ten Hag would have “preferred” Manchester United vs Barcelona in Europa League final
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag would have “preferred” to take on Barcelona in the Europa League final instead of the knockout round playoffs.
The Red Devils will visit the Blaugrana on Thursday (16 February). Subsequently, the second leg will take place at Old Trafford on 23 February to decide which team will make it to the UEL round of 16.
Speaking ahead of the first leg to UEFA.com (h/t Manchester Evening News), Ten Hag feels the clash between the two giants deserved a much bigger occasion. Nonetheless, the Dutch manager is looking forward to it.
“I think Barcelona and us as well would have preferred to play this match in the final. We are looking forward to it, it takes a lot of energy searching for that finish and it will be a great game.”
Over the years, United and Barcelona have been involved in some of the most exciting matchups at the highest level. In the 2007/08 season, when we took on the Spanish giants in the semi-finals of the Champions League, we got the better of them with an aggregate score of 1-0.
However, subsequently, the La Liga outfit have been the source of the Red Devils’ heartbreak over the years. They beat the Old Trafford side in two UCL finals—2008/09 and 2010/11.
More recently, the Camp Nou side convincingly beat us in the quarter-finals in 2019 in the most prestigious club competition in European football.
This strike from Scholesy v Barcelona stayed hit 🚀#MUFC #GoalOfTheDay pic.twitter.com/EiiWEmumKv
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 6, 2021
But in recent times, the two giants have struggled to replicate their past success. However, both Xavi and Ten Hag have managed to steady the ship after initial stumbles.
At the moment, Barcelona are in a good run of form. The Blaugrana sit at the top of La Liga with an 11-point gap over reigning Spanish champions Real Madrid.
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However, United have been impressive under the Dutch manager as well. While not the most exciting tournament, it will be interesting to see how the Red Devils will fare against the resurgent Catalan outfit.
