'Messi will want to leave his footprints'- Jose Mourinho gives his views on the Champions League clash between Manchester United and Barcelona
What's the story?
Former Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho, gave his views on the upcoming Champions League match between his former team and Barcelona, stating that the Red Devils can win against the Catalan giants.
In case you didn't know...
Champions League football returned last night but arguably the most anticipated match is when United face Barcelona tonight. Although the Catalan giants have failed to go past the quarterfinals stage since they won the tournament in 2015/16, United have not managed to win against them in the last two meetings.
The Catalan giants managed to get the better of the Red Devils in 2009 and 2011 and went on to win the Champions League. The Blaugrana led by Lionel Messi remain at their best as depicted throughout the season, with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner enjoying one of his best seasons.
On the other hand, Mourinho was sacked by Manchester United in December 2018 following a poor result against arch-rivals, Liverpool, and continuous poor performances. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over and reformed the team since then, which was evident when United managed to mount a shocking comeback against Paris Saint-Germain.
Now, Mourinho is a pundit and recently claimed that he is eyeing up a return to being a manager next season.
The heart of the matter
The former United manager has claimed that United can defeat Barcelona despite being underdogs but they should be wary of Messi, who will be desperate to leave his footprints at Old Trafford.
Speaking to RT, Mourinho said:
"United this season was capable to win against Juventus and against PSG why not to do it against Barcelona?"
"But Barca will be aware of that, will respect United and Old Trafford and Messi will want to leave his footprint in a mythical stadium."
What's next?
Manchester United will host Barcelona tonight while Ajax will take on Juventus at Amsterdam in the first leg of the quarterfinals too.