Barcelona vs Man United: Manchester United travel to the Camp Nou for the 1st leg of their UEL Round of 32 clash vs Barcelona on Thursday.
The contest is billed to be a massive one for either side as it could define the rest of the 2022-23 football season.
Both teams are in-form ahead of this clash and we thought to dig in deep and find out the match-ups which could decide the winner.
Without further ado, we look at the top 3 match-ups to watch out for in this mega clash between the Spanish and English counterparts.
Frankie de Jong vs Casemiro
de Jong has been Xavi’s star performer throughout the season as he holds the team from the centre of mid-field.
Meanwhile; Casemiro is the glue that’s gels United together with his presence being vital in United’s victories.
Recent results have shown that the Brazilian’s absence sees United’s winning % drop. Hence, we can expect this mid-fielder duo clash to take the cake and make it a mouth-watering battle.
💪 Man Utd’s win percentage with Casemiro in the Premier League this season: 6️⃣9️⃣ %
😵 Man Utd’s win percentage without Casemiro in the Premier League this season: 3️⃣3️⃣ %
😡 He will 𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐒 the game against Arsenal at the weekend pic.twitter.com/mQQMCwPZFb
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) January 19, 2023
Both players control their team’s progress, play. Hence, it will be a serious examination of grit, desire and creativity.
Lewandowski vs Rashford
Also read: 3 Reasons why PSG doesn’t need Messi anymore after last night’s defeat
The two strikers are their teams’ top scorers respectively. Lewandowski and Rashford will be the gun men in terms of goals for either side with both being in the best of forms.
However, Weghorst will be United’s key man in creating space for Rashford to cut across the flanks and help find the target.
The Barcelona striker’s experience and poaching ability has made him one of the best in the world. This is where United’s defence need to be tight on their heels.
Xavi: Rashford is one of the most DANGEROUS players in Europe. pic.twitter.com/zOvT0Up5Rd
— Morgan (@utdscope) February 15, 2023
Likewise, Alba and Co have the job of stopping Rashford from dribbling past and using his pace effectively.
Xavi vs Ten Hag
Also read: 3 Reasons why UEL clash vs Barcelona could define Man United’s 2022-23 season
It’s the two tactical managers who will have the biggest head-on in this UEL Clash.
Both managers sing praises of each other but when it down to game-time, one can surely expect a fiercely contested affair between the two.
Xavi’s 4-3-3 vs Ten Hag’s 4-2-3-1 will be the tactical match-up in this one as the former tries to outwit the other and vice-versa.
How each manager uses their substitutes will be another story within the story when the clash unfolds.
