Three takeaways from Barcelona's 2-2 draw with Manchester United
Spotify camp had has 90 minutes of electrifying and passionate football. The match between Barcelona and Manchester United ended in a 2-2 draw at Camp Nou.
From a neutral standpoint, the Catalans were outplayed, as United had the better chances throughout. However, a number of factors contributed to the shaky performance.
Marcos Alonso opened the scoring in the second half, but Marcus Rashford equalized within minutes. The winger was once again at the heart of United's second goal before Raphinha's long-range strike restored parity.
Barça Universal brings you three takeaways from Barcelona's 2-2 draw with Manchester United.
1. Xavi's pointless decisions
The buildup to Barcelona's mega-match against Manchester United had fans all over the world raising their expectations at an alarming rate. After all, the in-form Catalan defense was about to be put to the test in Europe for the first time.
Xavi Hernandez, on the other hand, played spoilsport not only for the fans but also for the end result. When the manager announced Barcelona's starting lineup an hour before kickoff, every fan's face was filled with confusion.
For the most difficult game of the season, the Spanish tactician decided to change his working defensive formula, starting a relatively rusty Marcos Alonso instead of the in-form Andreas Christensen. When questioned about his decision before kickoff, he attributed it to 'rotation'.
Alonso scored Barcelona's first goal of the night with a towering header. He demonstrated why he should not have started less than two minutes later, allowing Rashford to easily run past him and put the ball past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
He failed to clear the ball from the area once more for the second goal, allowing it to cross the face of the goal for the eventual touch on Kounde. Barcelona may have salvaged a point, but Xavi's inexplicable decisions on the night must be questioned.
2. A night of blunders
The 90-minute performance at Spotify Camp Nou on Thursday was one of Barcelona's most disorganized and haphazard in recent months.
The nerves of a big European match seemed to take over the Catalans, as did several United players, forcing simple and silly errors with unforgivable frequency.
The unusual performances began with Marc-Andre ter Stegen in goal, who gave up a near-post goal that he would save nine times out of ten.
Defensively, Kounde frequently misplaced passes and was dispossessed by United's high press. Ronald Araujo's poor clearance nearly cost Barcelona a goal, and Alonso's errors were the most costly of the game.
With some sloppy passes before going off, Pedri looked half as good as he usually does. Meanwhile, Gavi appeared to be on the verge of being disqualified for the second leg after making an unnecessary challenge. Robert Lewandowski was a shadow of his usual self in attack, with heavy touches and weak shots.
The game was played under the Europa League banner, but the quality of the football, the pressure on the players, and the nerves all indicated a game of UCL caliber. The impact was clearly visible in the performance. of Blaugrana players who have all enjoyed flawless campaigns to this point.
3. Old Trafford faces an uphill battle.
While there were no favorites in the first leg between the two European giants, the situation will be different in Manchester next week. Erik ten Hag's team has a slight advantage in terms of performance and personnel going into the tie.
On Thursday, United were undeniably the more aggressive of the two teams at Spotify Camp Nou. The Red Devils created better chances for the majority of the game as a result of their solid system and systematic press, and they head into the second leg with renewed confidence.
Xavi, on the other hand, will be without some of his most important players next week, putting his team at a disadvantage.
To begin, Ousmane Dembele will be unavailable on the night as he is not expected to recover in time for the trip to England. Sergio Busquets’ availability is under a cloud of doubt too, though According to reports, he may make it just in time.
The absences of Pedri and Gavi exacerbate the situation. The former suffered a thigh injury last night, putting him out for at least a month. Meanwhile, Gavi will miss the game due to a string of yellow cards.
Barcelona will not have it easy at Old Trafford without some of his best players for the second leg. However, it is clear that a playoff round exit would be unpopular with the fans and the board, and the onus will be on Xavi to find solutions.
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