16 February 2023 , 22:17
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Erik ten Hag praised Wout Weghorst’s new midfield role as Manchester United impressed in a pulsating 2-2 draw against Barcelona at Camp Nou.
Ten Hag through a tactical surprise as Weghorst, traditionally a number nine striker, dropped into a deeper role with Marcus Rashford assuming the most forward position. Bruno Fernandes shifted from a central role out to the right as Jadon Sancho played on the left of attack.
Weghorst was only slightly higher than Fred on the pitch, with the returning Casemiro anchoring United’s midfield. It was a tactical move that surprised Barcelona, as Xavi Hernandez had set-up to plan with Rashford playing on the left – creating havoc in the home side’s defence.
United were not able to hold on for the victory as Raphinha netted an equaliser for the Blaugrana, after a goal from Rashford and own goal from Kounde had turned the match on its head after Marcos Alonso’s opener for the home side.
Yet the visitors will believe they could and should have scored more goals in the tie, with Weghorst and Rashford both seeing clear efforts saved by Barcelona’s impressive goalkeeper Marc Andre Ter Stegen, while Sancho passed up a glorious opening early in the second half.
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Ten Hag praised Weghorst’s performance and explained the new-look attacking setup, explaining to BT Sport after the match: “I think it worked tonight. Wout did well in that position, which I know he can do.
Weghorst was played in an unfamiliar midfield role in Man Utd's draw at BarcelonaHave Your Say! What did you make of United’s attacking shape in Barcelona? Tell us what you think here.
“It gave us variation with Jadon and Bruno coming into the half spaces and getting on the ball and the full-backs joining it. We had a lot of variation and a lot of opportunities.”
Ten Hag continued, praising his side’s performance: “We dictated the game. Apart from 15 minutes in the first half, we dictated the game and outplayed them. We created so many chances.
“We should have scored in the first half. We created a lot of chances by ourselves. It was two attacking teams with lots of opportunities. It was two Champions League teams.”
The United boss added: “We have a lot of character and determination. We had to score the first goal but we did not do it. We turned it around when we were down. Rashford is in amazing form but the whole team did well, it was a really strong team performance.”