23 February 2023 , 02:00
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Remarkably, when Manchester United host Barcelona on Thursday night, it will be just the 15th meeting between the two footballing behemoths.
With eight European Cups shared between them, the two clubs have a rich pedigree bettered only by a very elite group of teams. Between 2008 and 2011, the Red Devils and the Blaugrana contested a pair of Champions League finals and one semi-final.
That the latest meeting comes in the Europa League play-off round should be an indicator of two giants in a slump. So why are both fanbases so excited about the direction they find themselves going?
As for Barca, they may have crashed out of the Champions League at the group stage, but there is a feeling that under Xavi, good times could be around the corner. The former midfield maestro has quickly assembled a young team, playing the ‘right way’, with a LaLiga title now very much on the horizon.
At Old Trafford, there are similar signs for cautious optimism. And it’s all a far cry from last May, when United ended their worst ever Premier League season.
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But since Erik ten Hag replaced Ralf Rangnick, who stepped in for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the trajectory has been an upward one. “I think first of all it's the confidence and secondly I think it's the discipline,” Raphael Varane said on their improvement this term.
“Tactically, we are following exactly the rules. We know exactly how we want to play and manage the game. The quality in the squad is there and I think, with a little bit more experience and mentality of competition, we can really improve a lot. That's maybe the difference between this season and last.”
Erik ten Hag and Xavi have their sides moving in the right directionVarane endured the final throes of the Solskjaer reign and suffered through the woeful temporary spell of interim boss Rangnick. But before it all went so very wrong, Solskjaer had steadied the ship from the tumultuous spell of his own predecessor, Jose Mourinho.
Just three months after stepping in for the ‘Special One’, the Norwegian helped guide United to one of their most memorable European performances in their recent history. A 2-0 home loss to Paris Saint-Germain had, to neutrals at least, all but ended their last-16 tie.
But evoking the spirit of the Champions League miracle act he helped orchestrate, Solskjaer’s side ran out 3-1 winners in the French capital to somehow book a place in the quarter finals.
Solskjaer’s most famous Manchester United moment came at the Camp Nou in 1999, but 20 years later, it quickly became apparent history wouldn’t repeat itself. Barca welcomed their old foes to Catalonia having established a slender one-goal lead in Manchester.
Lionel Messi scored a brace as Barca swept aside Man Utd in 2019And while United conjured a Houdini-esque escape in Paris, Barca ruthlessly drove home their advantage, winning 3-0 on the night and 4-0 on aggregate. It was a result, and 90 minutes, which underlined just how far away the Red Devils were from Europe’s elite.
"I have to say Lionel Messi is top quality and he was the difference of course. At 2-0 it was game over,” Solskjaer said of the Argentine’s brace. "We have to aspire to get to that level of Barcelona. We can get there but we have loads of work to do.
“If we want to get back to Manchester United's true level, true traditions, we have to challenge Barcelona. They were a couple of levels above over the two games."
Man United went toe-to-toe with Barca at the Camp Nou last weekAnd in a roundabout way, United have already delivered on Solskjaer’s vow. The thrilling first leg last week showed that the two sides are tantalisingly well matched.
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There are a couple of sizable elephants in the room however. Yes, Manchester United are on a par with Barcelona again, but it’s a barrier which is significantly lower than in previous years. It’s also a barrier that was significantly lowered by the blockbuster transfer exit of Lionel Messi in 2021.
But while these two great footballing institutions aren’t quite at the same level of their own recent pasts, the signs point at more positive days - and European nights - ahead. For the neutral, it’s a fixture which will always capture the imagination. But for the teams themselves, it’s a chance to take the next steps in their own rapid recovery missions.