Manchester United came from behind and beat Barcelona 2-1, this Thursday in the second leg of the play-offs for access to the round of 16 of the Europa League, getting into the next phase and getting off the blaugranas from continental competitions.
Robert Lewandowski put Barça ahead with a penalty (18), but the Brazilians Fred (47) and Antony (73) turned the game around and the pass to United, after the 2-2 draw recorded in the first leg at the Camp Nou.
United is already waiting for its rival in the round of 16 that will come out of the draw to be held on Friday in Switzerland, after a match in which the two teams alternated dominance.
The Barça team imposed its order with the ball against United, After starting electric, he ended up dismasted in the first part by his rival before being revived in the second.
The best start for the locals at Old Trafford was captured by a shot by Bruno Fernandes almost point blank, which the Barça goalkeeper Marc-André Ter Stegen (3) took out.
Manchester sought to reach the Barça goal quickly with long passes in search of his advanced men, but ran into the orderly Barça defense.
Xavi Hernández’s men, although they could not count on the injured Pedri and the suspended Gavi, they took control of the game little by little supported by the good performance of Sergio Busquets and Frenkie de Jong in midfield.
touch based, the azulgranas were approaching the rival goal until forcing a foul by Bruno Fernandes on Alejandro Balde in the area, punishable with a penalty.
Lewandowski was in charge of transforming the maximum penalty (18) to put Barça ahead on the scoreboard.
With the wind in favor, the Barcelona team dominated against a United that he could not find the holes in the opposite area, but the English only needed the break to turn the tables.
– Antony and Fred turn the game around –
Antony’s entry for Wout Weghorst brought intensity to United’s game, who soon found the tie when Fred received from Bruno Fernandes and unleashed a shot close to the post to make it 1-1 (47).
The goal spurred the locals who began to arrive with more danger to the surprise of the Catalans, who saw how Ter Stegen saved a long shot from Antony (55).
The United attacker was a real pain head for Barça, also harassed by the growth of Marcus Rashford in the second half, after an unprecedented first half.
Barcelona was able to take the lead with a header by Jules Koundé that goalkeeper David de Gea took (64)but soon after, United scored the second goal.
In the midst of local harassment and with a Barça shrinking ballsAntony received in the area to release a cross shot that made it 2-1 (73) much to the delight of the fans who filled Old Trafford.
ahead on the scoreboard, United took a step back to try to surprise a Barcelona counterattack, launched desperately in search of the goal that left many spaces behind.
Barça turned on the opposite goal in the last minutes and was about to draw, but a shot from Lewandowski was taken by Raphael Varane under the sticks (90+4).
