Manchester United welcome the visitors Barcelona in the Champions League Playoffs – Quarterfinals. The match will be held on Wednesday, April, 10th, at the Old Trafford (Manchester).
Champions League quarterfinals were not good to Manchester United lately. The team’s last progression to the next stage was registered yet in 2011. Tellingly, that campaign, the ‘Red Devils’, guided by Sir Alex Ferguson, succeeded to reach the final wherein they conceded to Barcelona. In late March, the Norwegian specialist Ole Gunnar Solskjær was officially announced the team’s manager. His work over few months proved he deserves to part with the ‘acting’ status – the club signed a 3-year contract with him. United’s management had no other options, as after the specialist joined the club, the ‘Devils’ featured a great streak. The Norwegian fit the team perfectly – his crisis-management skills are impressive. After Solskjær joined the ‘Devils’, they developed a better emotional security. The manager invited Michael Phelan back – he used to assist Ferguson for a long time; he moved Paul Pogba closer to the attacking line; and made his men attack more, especially against toppers. One cannot but note the good luck that accompanies the manager. Having conceded to Paris Saint-Germain at home, 0:2, the ‘Devils’ could win in Paris, 1:3, registering a fantastic comeback there. United’s fans are very excited about Solskjær’s appointment, as he got the team back to the fight for the Champions League next campaign, which seemed impossible yet in October when the team were headed by Jose Mourinho and ran much behind their main rivals.
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This season’s Barcelona are solely affected by Lionel Messi’s performance. The central players, like Ivan Rakitic, Sergio Busquets, etc., merely fail to show off in the attack. It all comes to Messi – they all look to find him on the pitch, waiting for his genius to invent something. Under Ernesto Valverde, Barca hold their status of the most possessive La Liga side; that said, their possession is mostly attributed to the defensive strategy. The thing is that the manager tries to free the opponents of possession for them to attack less. Josep Guardiola’s philosophy is no longer workable in Barcelona, the team’s possession attacks do not look that torrid anymore. Anyways, the Catalan outfit keep demonstrating blistering results and high effectiveness. After 28 La Liga rounds, they count 66 points, just 2 losses throughout the season, and a 10-point handicap from the closest pursuers, which practically kills any intrigue in the title hunt. In the present Champions League, Valverde’s side did not meet any serious opponents yet. In the last round, they confidently passed Lyon (0:0 away, and 5:1 at home).
No doubt, historically, this is the strongest quarterfinal pair. The teams met 11 times: United registered 3 wins, Barca did 4, and 4 encounters ended level. The last opponents’ meeting was held at the Wembley Stadium in terms of the Champions League final in 2011 when Messi and Co celebrated an assertive victory, 3:1. Messi scored 22 goals to English sides, so, he is much counted on in the clash concerned. Against heavyweights, Solskjær plays a sluggish and dull football. We will most likely see same on Wednesday.
Prediction for the match: Under 2.5 goals.
