Europa League: Clash of Barcelona and Manchester United underlines soaring revivals

Barcelona will play Manchester United in this game. On Thursday, a game that has twice graced the Champions League final will instead play out in the Europa League play-off round, which is a somewhat humiliating development. The Catalans failed to go past the opening round of Europe's top tournament, while Manchester United placed second in its Europa League group, which caused their paths to cross. Despite the tie's lessened significance, both of the continent's greatest teams are on the rise and include the two fallen titans. Barcelona and Manchester United are both growing under intriguing managers in Erik ten Hag and Xavi Hernandez, and both teams want to quickly reclaim their places among Europe's top. The sides' most recent encounter was in 2019, during which United's hard downturn in the barren decade after Sir Alex Barcelona was set to start a precipitous decline while Ferguson's reign was in full swing. Barcelona defeated United 4-0 on the road in the quarterfinals, but only goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is expected to play against United at Camp Nou. Barcelona had a significant team renewal since then, and its expenditure last summer increased the criticism it faced after being eliminated from the Europa League. The Catalans added a potent striker in Robert Lewandowski, while Jules Kounde and Andreas Christensen have solidified their roles as essential members of the greatest defence in Europe. Barcelona has kept 16 clean sheets from 21 games, has allowed only seven goals in La Liga all season, and Xavi's team hasn't lost in 16 games overall. The trainer,who was a standout for Barcelona in midfield in their victory against Ferguson's Red Devils in the 2009 and 2011 Champions League finals, is restoring his team to their previous glory.

Real Madrid and Barcelona will square off in the Copa del Rey semifinals after Barcelona defeated Real Madrid to win the Spanish Super Cup in January.He took over in November of the previous year and guided the group from the middle of the table to second place. Barcelona hasn't won La Liga since 2019, but on Sunday it increased its advantage over rival Real Madrid to 11 points. This week, Ter Stegen stated, "It's been almost a year now since Xavi joined, and many things have changed, perhaps also the attitude and the way we defend." "(Xavi) has a strategy; it might have taken longer than he anticipated, but you can see progress." "The key to success is that we now know what to do on the pitch better."

The Red Devils are on the rise

Under head coach Erik ten Hag, Manchester United, who acquired Ajax's Antony and Lisandro Martinez as well as Real Madrid's Casemiro in the summer, have made significant strides. After a rough start at Old Trafford, which included a 4-0 hammering by Brentford and a tense relationship with club superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, the Dutch coach has managed to turn things around. After the Portuguese attacker left United during the World Cup, Ten Hag's team has won 16 of its past 17 games, including a 3-2 loss to Premier League champion Arsenal.With 13 goals in his previous 15 games, Ten Hag has assisted Marcus Rashford in finding his best form, and the squad has moved up to third place in the standings. Even before his incredible run of form started in October, Rashford noted, "The boss is a delight to work with." In order to increase Manchester United's prospects of winning their first trophy since winning the Europa League in 2017, Ten Hag also led them into the EFL Cup final and the FA Cup fifth round. The influence of Ten Hag was also appreciated by Bruno Fernandes, who has also returned to his best form. The midfielder said, "You can tell the manager's philosophy has engraved on the team. "Before, confidence was low, which led to doubt, but certainly, I believe this season The outcomes are what matter most. "You get more self-assured." Barcelona and Manchester United both enter the match with high spirits, but if they butt heads, one of them will be doomed to a second painful European elimination, which will hinder their recovery.