UEFA Europa League 2023: MANCHESTER UNITED 2 -1 Defeated BARCELONA

Manchester United defeated Barcelona 2-1 at Old Trafford to advance to the round of 16 in the Europa League. Erik ten Hag's team had to come from behind when Robert Lewandowski started the goal from the penalty spot in the first half, just like we had to do in the first leg. Immediately after the restart, the Reds struck back, as Fred beat Marc-Andre Ter Stegen with a quick shot from the edge of the box. After many efforts in front of the away goal were blocked, the ball eventually fell to Antony with just under 20 minutes left, and he expertly guided his finish into the far corner to give the Reds the lead. a memorable evening for United and Ten Hag, Delivering another unforgettable European event at a raucous Old Trafford will help to maintain our Europa League aspirations.

First half: Reds pay the penalty

The players were greeted by our supporters in the Theatre of Dreams with a shout as they stepped onto the vivid green Old Trafford pitch, and both teams responded to the occasion right away.The Reds worked out a fantastic opportunity to grab the lead early in the game within the opening three minutes. Bruno Fernandes received a fantastic pass from Casemiro that was stopped by Marc-Andre ter Stegen after it was played behind the Barcelona defence. Raphinha attempted to counteract our initial attempts with his own, but his long-range curling strike missed the post. A frenzied, action-packed first 15 minutes came to an abrupt end as the referee pointed to the visitors' penalty spot.Fernandes was thought to have just inside the area dragged Balde down, allowing Xavi's team a straight path into first place. Lewandowski, Barcelona's No. 9, went up to convert the penalty kick despite De Gea getting a glove on it. But Ten Hag's team was unfazed and started looking for a leveller right away. As Lisandro Martinez gently sent the ball over the top to Fernandes, our captain for the evening struggled to handle it, and Ter Stegen easily saved Fernandes' half-volley. Sergio Roberto's close-range interception of a David De Gea ball in the final seconds of the first half prevented Barcelona from scoring a second goal. Casemiro executed a crucial. Before putting his body on the line once more to stop Kessie, Casemiro made a crucial intervention to stop the Spaniard from taking a shot. This kept the score at 1-0 as the halftime whistle blew.

Second half: Brazilian Brace

The Reds needed to score early in the second half, so Ten Hag decided to swap up the top, substituting Antony for Weghorst after the break. From the restart, we were level via Fred after only two minutes. After United gained control of the ball high on the field, Fernandes quickly passed the ball to the Brazilian midfielder, who took only one touch before beating Ter Stegen with a shot. A short while later, Rashford was about to advance when Antony was put in behind the Barcelona defence but was stopped by Andreas Christensen. The crowd, who was loud the entire evening, echoed Ten Hag's men's contagious restart.Despite dominating significant portions of the second half, it appeared just after the hour mark that we would be caught off guard against the flow of play—but for David De Gea's heroics. Jules Kounde connected with Balde's wonderful cross at the far post, but our shot-stopper reached out to push Kounde's attempt over the crossbar. Kessie's long-range attempt seconds later from the next corner kick was stopped by De Gea. That stop turned out to be crucial because ten minutes later the Reds were in ahead thanks to an outstanding goal from second-half replacement Antony. Prior to passing it to Garnacho, Fernandes regained possession near to the area. After attempts by the young Argentine and then Fred were both blocked, and our Brazilian winger received the ball. In front of a jubilant Stretford End, Antony simply guided it into the bottom corner and past Ter Stegen. In a tie of this quality, late drama was nearly a given at the end. Raphael Varane's incredible stop on the line saved the day and allowed us to finish the match, even though the "equaliser" might not have been considered if Lewandowski's last-ditch try had succeeded. While the Reds are now eligible for Friday's round-of-16 draw, focus will soon shift to Sunday, when we face Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley.

MATCH DETAILS

United: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka (Dalot 67), Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Fred, Casemiro; Fernandes, Sancho (Garnacho 67), Rashford (McTominay 88); Weghorst (Antony 45).

Unused substitutes: Heaton, Lindelof, Maguire, Malacia, Sabitzer, Mainoo, Elanga, and Pellistri.

Goals: Fred (47), Antony (73).

Booked: Fernandes 60; Casemiro 86.

Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Balde; Christensen; Araujo (Alonso 82); Kounde; De Jong; Busquets; Kessie; Roberto (Torres 70); Lewandowski; Raphinha (Fati 75).

Unused substitutes: Tenas, Torre, Casado, Sotorres, Garcia, Alba.

Goals: Lewandowski (p) scores 18.

Booked: Roberto (60), Lewandowski (71), and Busquets (83).