Man Utd has been tied against Barcelona for the UEFA Europa League knockout stage playoffs. The 2 heavyweights will square off in 2 legs for the UEL RO16 stage. Only 1 team will advance to the next round while the other will be out of the competition. Here we’ll reveal what the Man Utd boss Erik Ten Hag has told in the press conference before that match against FC Barcelona and what game plan he will bring on against the Spanish giants. PSG vs Bayern Munich Head to Head, All Match Results.
Erik Ten Hag Barcelona
Manchester United and FC Barcelona to face each other in a battle of giants. It’ll be the headline game of the competition this season. Erik Ten Hag will be key for the Red Devils as much of their success against such a strong opponent will depend upon their manager.
Erik Ten Hag Barca
It will be the Dutch manager’s first-ever meeting against Spanish giant FC Barcelona. Because the current Man Utd manager has never previously faced Barca being in charge of any club. So his stats against Barca was null. But there are some stats to see as his side played the Blaugranas in the 1st leg of the UEL knockout stage playoffs.
Ten Hag Stats vs Barcelona
| In-Charge in Game vs Barcelona | 01 |
| Number of Win | 00 |
| Number of Defeat | 00 |
| Draws | 01 |
| Goals Scored | 02 |
| Goals Conceded | 02 |
Ten Hag Press Conference Barcelona
Ten Hag has revealed some of his interesting thoughts to the press before the match against Barcelona. He told UEFA.com, “I think Barcelona and us as well would have preferred to play this match in the final,” The 53-years-old also added, “We are looking forward to it, it takes a lot of energy searching for that finish and it will be a great game.”
So this statement clarifies the former Ajax boss’s respect for the Catalan club. He simply took his next match opponents as one of the strongest in the competition and that’s why he thinks that such a fixture would be perfect for the final.
Ten Hag Match Plan against Barca
Ten Hag’s Man Utd will take on Barca in the first leg on Thursday, February 16th. The 2nd leg will be played in March. The Red Devils will play the inaugural leg away from the home. It should be definitely a game full of brilliance and intensity. But as they will play the game away, even a draw would be a better result for the EPL giants. Ten Hag may go with a 4-2-3-1 formation at Camp Nou.
Let’s take a look at the possible Man Utd starting XI against FC Barcelona for the UEFA Europa League 2023.
- GK: David De Gea.
- RB: Diogo Dalot.
- CB: Harry Maguire.
- CB: Raphael Varane.
- LB: Luke Shaw.
- DM: Casemiro.
- DM: Fred.
- RW: Jadon Sancho.
- CAM: Bruno Fernandes.
- LW: Marcus Rashford.
- ST: Wout Weghorst.
How old is Ten Hag?
Erik Ten Hag, the Dutch Football manager is currently 53 years old in 2023.
How many trophies did Ten Hag win at Ajax?
Ten Hag has won 6 trophies during his reign at Ajax Amsterdam. However, he is yet to win a trophy for Man Utd.