Henry Roldán
After a vibrant first leg at Camp Nou, this coming Thursday’s Europa League playoff second leg featuring Manchester United vs Barcelona promises to be one of the best games of this European soccer season.
Last Thursday, the two clubs met, and the match was tied 2-2, so nothing is definite in the playoffs for a place in the round of 16. Without further ado, at JefeBet we bring you a preview of the stellar clash pitting Manchester United vs Barcelona.
Predictions, Picks, and Betting Odds for Manchester United vs Barcelona Europa League Playoffs Second Leg on February 23, 2023
- Where: Old Trafford, Manchester, England
- When: Thursday, February 23, 2023, 3:00 PM ET
- Moneyline: Manchester United (+125) / Tie (+250) / Barcelona (+225)
- Asian Handicap: Manchester United (-0.25, -109) / Barcelona (+0.25, -112)
- Over/Under (2.5): Over (-130) / Under (+105)
- Both teams score: Yes (-175) / No (+128)
All odds shown are courtesy of Unibet.
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Betting on Manchester United
When Manchester United hosts Barcelona, it will have a great opportunity to demonstrate that Old Trafford has once again become a great fortress to face rivals. Erik ten Hag’s men have lost only two of their last 11 European matches at the Theater of Dreams, both against Spanish clubs, and are currently on a 17-game unbeaten run at home.
Those are more than pleasant news for the fans who saw how the Red Devils played a great match at the Camp Nou and were even winning at some points of the game.
In addition, they are the second-best home team in the Premier League with 29 points after 12 matches played and are equal with Newcastle and Chelsea as the clubs with the fewest goals conceded in this condition with just eight.
An example of that good defense is last weekend’s 3-0 home win over Leicester. It also served to reaffirm the great performance level of Marcus Rashford, who scored one of the goals in the first leg and has 16 goals in his last 17 games.
Ten Hag will not be counting on Christian Eriksen, Mason Greenwood, and Donny van de Beek. Plus, Antony, Harry Maguire, and Anthony Martial are not confirmed yet.
Possible Lineup (4-2-3-1): David De Gea; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Raphael Varane, Tyrell Malacia, Luke Shaw; Fred, Casemiro; Jadon Sancho, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford; Wout Weghorst.
Betting on FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona missed a great opportunity to go to England with a small advantage and will now have to overcome their European ghosts with a tough visit to Old Trafford. Counting their elimination from the current Champions League, the Blaugrana has just three wins in its last nine away games in Europe, while on their last visit to England, they were thrashed 4-0 by Liverpool.
The key for Barcelona is to replicate its strong momentum in La Liga, where they lead Real Madrid by eight points, in a European context where it has been eliminated from the group stage in the last two Champions League campaigns.
Xavi’s side has gone 18 games without defeat in all competitions, while it has allowed only seven goals in the local championship and has kept 17 clean sheets.
As visitors, they are also the best club in the Spanish tournament with 30 points from 11 games, and they have only suffered one defeat in this same condition against Real Madrid. In addition, on the road, they conceded six of their seven goals this year.
Xavi will not count on key players such as Ousmane Dembelé, Pedri (who got injured in the first leg), and Gavi (due to yellow cards). However, he will bring back captain Sergio Busquets to the midfield.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Marc-André ter Stegen; Jules Koundé, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araújo, Jordi Alba; Franck Kessie, Frenkie de Jong, Sergio Busquets; Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Ferrán Torres.
JefeBet Prediction
Just as last Thursday’s first leg gave us thrills, there is no reason to think that the same will not happen this week in this Manchester United vs Barcelona second leg match. While both teams have shown a very good defense in the local championship, their attacks have also been good, as the two-goal draw proves.
Rashford has 21 goals in United’s last 10 Premier League matches, and they will face a Spanish team that has not shown its best defensive performance in Europe. Likewise, in 22 La Liga games, Barcelona only finished blank on one occasion during matchday 1 against Rayo Vallecano.
Prediction: Both teams score (MAN 2 – BAR 2).
