Manchester United vs Barcelona: 3 key battles to look out for | UEFA Europa League 2022-23
Manchester United will host Barcelona in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League round of 32 after the first leg ended in a 2-2 draw. The second leg is scheduled to be played on Thursday, February 23 at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils have been clinical in recent months and go into this encounter on the back of an eight-game unbeaten streak.
Barcelona have been brilliant as well and they go into this encounter on an 18 game unbeaten run across all competitions.
The first leg of the clash was intense and this fixture promises to be interesting as well.
Hence, let's look at three key individual battles that could determine the outcome of this encounter.
Manchester United vs Barcelona: 3 key battles
#3 Casemiro vs Frenkie de Jong
The Brazilian has been significant for the Red Devils since joining the club last summer and his contributions in both attack and defense have enhanced the team's overall performance.
Casemiro has netted four goals and has registered five assists in 31 appearances for Manchester United this season. Similarly, his experience has stabilized the midfield and he remains a key player for the Red Devils in this clash.
Meanwhile, Frenkie de Jong will have to properly organize his midfield in the absence of Gavi and Pedri if he intends to come out on top in this battle. De Jong is, however, highly proficient and his ability to stabilize the midfield is outstanding. His vision and passing could be crucial in unlocking the Red Devils defense in this encounter.
#2 Robert Lewandowski vs Lisandro Martinez
When you talk about technically gifted strikers, one of the names that comes to mind is Robert Lewandowski. The Polish international has netted 24 goals and registered six assists in 29 appearances for Barcelona this season.
Monitoring his movements in attack is a tough task as and Lisandro Martinez will definitely have his work cut out.
Image: Lewandowski and Ferran Torres during today's training session at the Old Trafford. https://t.co/P0Cd66u9Jf
However, Martinez is an aggressive defender and has been robust in the backline this season. It remains to be seen if he will be able to keep Lewandowski under wraps in this encounter.
#1 Marcus Rashford vs Jules Kounde
Arguably one of the most in-form strikers in the footballing world, Marcus Rashford has been clinical in attack this season. The Englishman has scored 24 goals and registered nine assists in 36 appearances so far.
Monitoring his movements in the final third remains a tough task as he could use his pace and immense dribbling prowess to wreck a team's defense. Similarly, his vision in the final third of the pitch is remarkable and Jules Kounde will have his work cut out.
Kounde on Rashford: “I think he’s a very good player, He’s very fast so it makes it difficult. Great at reading space too, so it’s always a challenge to play against this type of player but it’s exciting.” [via @rxnpixels] #mufc
However, Kounde has been brilliant in defense and his immense defensive intuition will be crucial at right-back to curtail Rashford's attacking threat.