Stadium: Old Trafford (Manchester)
Referee: Clement Turpin
23.02.2023 23:00
On February 23, Manchester United will face Barcelona in the second leg of the Europa League Qualifying Playoffs, this time at Old Trafford. At the Camp Nou, ten Hague's side looked strong and were close to victory. They are now regarded as the favourites to win, but a week ago, United's chances were rated very low.
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After the most challenging trip to Barcelona, MU immediately returned to their home walls to prepare for a difficult match against Leicester City in the 24th round of the championship of England. The team had a tough start to the game. The defenders twice missed the opponents who had good chances to score, but De Gea said his word. Thanks to the Spaniard's saves, the Devils were not caught up. The club won 3:0 and reduced the gap with Man City to three points. Man City is now in third place in the English Premier League table.
Barcelona
Last week, Barcelona played another home game. On Matchday 22 of the Spanish league, Cadiz came to the Blues. Xavi's charges made the difference towards the end of the first half with two goals. After the break, the teams were scoreless. Barcelona regained an eight-point lead over Real Madrid.
Expert Betting Tips
Barcelona will have problems in the center of the field. Two midfielders will have to miss the game - Xavi (due to yellow cards) and Pedri (injury). Most likely, Xavi will prefer the trio of Kessie - de Jong - Roberto, which will have a challenging time against the Brazilian tandem of MU Casemiro - Fred. Let's not forget the tactical nuance of ten Hague - the Dutch specialist sees Weghorst more as a support for the central midfielders. It is sometimes difficult to pass the tall forward. This was shown in the first game at Camp Nou. The Leicester players also experienced problems against the defensive qualities of Weghorst.
Manchester United is now considered the favorite. It is hard to remember the last time bookmakers ranked the Mancunians as favorites against top contenders on the European stage. Barcelona will have an unpleasant reception at Old Trafford and crazy pressure from the stands. Considering the personnel problems and the excellent form of United's leading players, we expect the home team to make it through to the next round of the Europa League. The return leg also promises to be exciting.
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