Manchester United and Barcelona locked horns in a thrilling 2-2 draw at the Spotify Camp Nou on Thursday. It was the individual brilliance of Marcus Rashford for the Red Devils and Raphinha for Barca that stole the spotlight in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League knockout playoffs.
After a first half where the teams couldn't finish their chances, the game broke open in a big way with a Marcos Alonso header in the 50th minute, assisted by Raphinha, before Marcus Rashford extended his scoring run and brought United level only three minutes later. Rashford forced Jules Kounde into an own goal before a wicked Raphinha cross evaded everyone to end up in the back of the net for an equalizer. It was quite an open match that both sides will come away feeling like they deserved to win. What we do know is that this sets the stage for an exciting second leg at Old Trafford on Feb. 23 (on Paramount+).
Xavi will have a few worries as Gavi will be suspended for the second clash while Pedri also left the match with an injury. Sergio Busquets is also injured, so it could be a completely different midfield than usual heading to Manchester. Meanwhile, Erik ten Haag will get Lisandro Martinez back from suspension, which will only improve their defensive prospects after allowing Barcelona to control large portions of the opening leg.
The match ending in a draw only makes Wout Weghorst's missed chance in the first half loom larger but at the pace the match was played, it's hard to say that Barcelona wouldn't have found a third goal. Especially since things ended with Casemiro putting a clearance off of his own bar near the end of regulation.
Here's what to know:
Raphinha ran riot
When Raphinha realized that Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw couldn't contain him while also focusing on Robert Lewandowski, the match opened up for Barcelona quickly. Creating one chance that also led to an assist and taking five shots while also occupying central areas of the pitch, Raphinha was at the top of his game to see Barcelona back into the match. He was able to create when he wanted as his pinpoint cross to Alonso for a header was excellent and while his goal should've been an assist to Lewandowski, the ability to put the ball where no one but his teammate could get it is unmatched.
Even if Lewandowski did touch the ball, it would've only needed the slightest poke as Raphinha did all the hard work to create the goal. While things got a little heated after Xavi withdrew him from the match with the Brazillian making sure his displeasure was heard, that's to be expected. Not only was it a competitive match between two excellent teams that no athlete would want to leave willingly but Raphinha has also needed to show why he deserves to start over Ousmane Dembele when he's healthy. Thursday at the Camp Nou, he showed that but now he will need to follow it up with consistent performances in the future.
Manchester United are back
While a large part of why United are where they are is Rashford's 22 goals in all competitions, that alone wasn't enough to draw level with Barcelona. In a short period of time, ten Hag has reinvented the side. No longer are Manchester United pushovers when compared to Europe's best even without being in the Premier League title race. Bringing in winners like Casemiro and Raphael Varane has helped establish a winning culture while removing Cristiano Ronaldo from the team has allowed them to thrive.
Even if Manchester United end up spending more under new ownership, they'll need a careful balance to keep the ethos that ten Hag is building. If they're able to do that, the dark years after Alex Fergeson left the club could soon be behind them. Led by a bonafide homegrown superstar in Rashford, the sky is the limit for the Red Devils.
Can Barcelona cope with injuries to win the tie?
The extent of Pedri's injury is unknown but withdrawn in the first half for Sergi Roberto, Xavi will already be concerned that he won't make the second leg against United. Add in that Sergio Busquets is also injured and forcing him back sooner than required could be a bad idea given how open things were, Barca will have quite the midfield choice to make. Gavi will be suspended and that would mean that Franck Kessie would likely need to anchor the midfield.
A tall task for a player who has only logged 1000 minutes all season and for the most part has seemed to be surplus to requirements. Frenkie de Jong can also contribute at the base of the midfield but that takes away from his best attribute of progressing with the ball at his feet. If Xavi can't figure that out, things could be over before they start.
