Barça continues with nightmares in Europe
Manchester United recovers from Lewandowski’s opening goal and eliminates the ‘culers’ from the Europa League
BARCELONA, 23 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Manchester United eliminated FC Barcelona this Thursday in the Europa League ‘play-off’ by winning (2-1) in the second leg at Old Trafford, after the Camp Nou draw in the first leg, in a duel that the blaugrana started very well, taking the lead on the scoreboard, until dissolving in a new second half to forget that they revived the European nightmares.
Barça continues to suffer in Europe and say goodbye too soon. And, for the second consecutive season, that elimination is in the Europa League, the second continental competition. The nightmares continue, this time in the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ in Manchester, and Barça has yet to rub shoulders with the European elite, not even on the ‘B-side’.
FC Barcelona has to fight for LaLiga Santander, where they are solid leaders, and for the Copa del Rey. But, in Europe, this goodbye to the Europa League is added to the one they said earlier in the Champions League. The image improved somewhat, yes, and it is true that this crossing smelled of ‘Champions’ and that United was at its best. But Barça experienced another disappointment.
Once they found themselves down on the scoreboard, with Antony’s goal on 73′, Barça had a hard time locking United in their area. Xavi Hernández’s team barely had any chances, who tried to react on the wing but his changes did not bear fruit. The only one who took advantage of the time, coming off the bench, was a Ferran Torres who played a great game against Cádiz and who was better, in the 20 minutes he played, than a thick and gray Raphinha who took over.
In fact, a cross from Ferran Torres that Ansu Fati could not finish off with a good header, Robert Lewandowski arriving better placed from behind, was the clearest opportunity for Barça in the short added time, taking into account that it was barely possible to play — Between changes and two injuries at United– after the 2-1 draw that turned the game around and the tie.
Without Pedri or Gavi, Barça could suffer in the center of the field. It seemed not to be like that, since control of the ball was generally for the blaugrana, who with Sergio Busquets back found a beacon to guide themselves by, giving freedom to Frenkie De Jong and Franck Kessié, who did not look out of place. But it is not Gavi, much less Pedri.
Barça had two faces at Old Trafford. In the first part, in which Robert Lewandowski put the blaugrana ahead from the penalty spot, they had control of the game, of the ‘tempo’ of it, and were firm behind. Despite not enjoying clear chances, there was no hesitation in the game and United was still asleep. Especially Marcus Rashford, his goal man, totally missing.
But in the second part the party was opposite. At the break, the local coach, Erik ten Hag, hit the key and Antony’s entry was key. The Brazilian, who was doubtful, not only scored the second and decisive goal, in a play with two previous shots blocked by the ‘culer’ defense, but also acted as a boost to give wings to the ‘red devils’.
It was, that goal in an unfortunate play, the straw that broke the camel’s back. Barça lost control of the game, they forgot to defend themselves with the ball and they couldn’t find their way to David De Gea’s goal again, which the little work he had to do was resolved with good saves. He was even close to stopping the penalty that Robert Lewandowski scored in the first half, which, at that time, put everything on the side for Barça.
But Lewandowski’s goal from the fateful spot, with ‘paradinha’ and a jump included before kicking, was the little that the well-defended Polish striker could intervene. Without assistants, since Raphinha was not there and Sergi Roberto, this time a false left winger, they did not give him the ball or from behind, the ‘9’ could not shine.
Antony came back, yes, but it was his compatriot Fred who changed the course of everything, in the 47th minute. Barça, who had the game and the cross under control in the first half, slept off the break and paid dearly for it. United stole a ball, which Bruno Fernandes gave to Fred so that he could control his orientation and shoot a sold Marc-André Ter Stegen, and who once again could not leave his goal to zero in European competition.
Manchester joins Liverpool, Rome, Lisbon (place of the fateful 2-8 against Bayern), the fiefdoms where Barça was stuck in the group stage of the ‘Champions’… Old Trafford was the ‘Theater of Nightmares’ for a Barça that will do well to change their chip quickly so as not to pay this European bill in LaLiga Santander, their great objective from now on.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: MANCHESTER UNITED, 2 – FC BARCELONA, 1 (0-1, at halftime).
–EQUIPMENT.
MANCHESTER UNITED: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka (Dalot, min.67), Varane, Martínez, Shaw; Casemiro, Fred; Bruno Fernandes, Sancho (Garnacho, min.67) Rashford (McTominay, min.88); and Weghorst (Antony, rest).
FC BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Koundé, Araujo (Marcos Alonso, min.82), Christensen, Balde; Busquets, De Jong, Kessié; Raphinha (Ansu Fati, min.75), Lewandowski and Sergi Roberto (Ferran Torres, min.70).
–GOALS.
0-1 Min.18, Lewandowski (p).
1-1. Min.47, Fred.
2-1. Min.73, Antony.
–REFEREE: Clement Turpin (FRA). He admonished Bruno Fernandes (min.60), Garnacho (min.78), Casemiro (min.86) at Manchester United and Sergi Roberto (min.60), Lewandowski (min.71), Busquets (min.83) at the FC Barcelona.
–ESTADIO: Old Trafford.