Man Utd and Barcelona are meeting for the second time this month to settle the knockout tie at Old Trafford. The first leg lived up to its expectations in a four-goal thriller at the Spotify Camp Nou.
Man Utd continued their preparations for this tie with a three-nil thrashing of Leicester City to go third in the Premier League standings. Few players were rested, and Erik Ten Hag urged the fans to come out in huge numbers on Thursday.
FC Barcelona did just enough against Cadiz to maintain their eight-point lead over Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga. Now the focus returns to the Europa League, where they would be eager to get past Man Utd.
| Tournament: | UEFA Europa League 2022/23 Playoffs, Knockout stage |
| Venue: | Old Trafford, Manchester, England |
| Date: | 8:00 p.m. GMT on Thursday, 23 February 2023 |
The Red Devils were underdogs at Camp Nou, but the Europa League betting odds have switched due to the home advantage, and they are now the favorites to win at 2.25 (5/4). Barcelona is valued at 3.25 (9/4) to claim a win at Old Trafford, while a draw is worth 3.40 (12/5).
Before the first leg, the bookies had Barcelona as the favorite to qualify, but they are now pegged at 2.15 (23/20) to make it to the next round, while Man Utd is priced at 1.73 (8/11) to reach the last-16.
25+ sportsSuperb bonusesEasy to useVIP programLive gamesMany bonusesMany bonuses24/7 supportMobile appsLive bettingMany sportsFast payoutsGreat supportMobile appsLive bettingManchester United finished second in the Europa League Group E. They were level on points with group winners, Real Sociedad, but had an inferior goal difference, and that means they had to begin the playoffs from the round of 32. The Red Devils had a good outing in the group stage, winning five out of six matches. Overall, Ten Hag is doing a great job in Manchester, being only 3 points behind Man City in the EPL and having plans to win the EFL Cup trophy on February 26 against Newcastle.
FC Barcelona failed to reach the knockouts of the Champions League after a summer that saw them invest heavily in the team. They finished behind Bayern Munich and Inter Milan in the Champions League Group C, winning only two out of six group-stage games and dropping to the Europa League. At the same time, Xavi’s team is super stable in La Liga, having only one defeat (against Real Madrid) but confidently leading the title race by 8 points.
Both teams share a lot of history, but Barcelona has often dominated the English side. Barcelona has won the Champions League five times; two of those victories were against Man Utd in 2009 and 2011.
Man Utd: WDWDW Barcelona: WDWWW
The first leg delivered a lot of excitement, and with the tie still very open, we should witness another enthralling match at Old Trafford. Both teams are performing at a very high level, and in all fairness, this game could pass for a Champions League fixture. Manchester United has scored in their last 25 competitive fixtures, and a goal is almost certain for the hosts.
Barcelona has failed to score in only two of their last 25 games in all competitions. They have also scored in their last five meetings against Manchester United. Barcelona’s defense in Europe has not been top-notch, with only one clean sheet in European games this season. A bet on both teams to score has a good value here. There will be no surprise if teams exchange goals and would be ready to decide the winner via extra time or even a penalty shootout.
Barcelona was very close to taking advantage in the dying minutes of the first leg. They struck the post and were denied a penalty as the game came to an end. With Ousmane Dembele returning to the team, they would become very dangerous in attack. Barcelona’s last visit to Old Trafford was memorable for the Blaugranas; they defeated Man Utd by a goal to nil. There’s a lot to play for, but Barcelona has more than enough to reach the last-16, while MU may think about the EFL Cup final that will come in only three days after this clash.
Man Utd’s number 10 is in the form of his life, and there is no better player than Marcus Rashford since the World Cup break. He scored in five consecutive games with six goals in that period and is the top goalscorer for Manchester United this season. Marcus Rashford was among the goals in the first leg, and he should get at least another goal in this fixture. Backing him to score is a very valuable option on the best sites for football betting.
Erik Ten Hag received a huge boost in his bid to beat Barcelona as Antony Santos received the green light to be in the squad against Barcelona. Christian Eriksen is ruled out for this game, but Anthony Martial is back to give the Red Devils more options up front.
Xavi Hernandez would be forced to return to his traditional 4-3-3 due to Pedro Gonzalez’s injury and Pablo Gavira’s suspension. Ousmane Dembele and Sergio Busquets are back in the team and are traveling with the squad.
Only one side would progress on Thursday, and we can help you tailor your bets to make profits. You can get the best offers from this game by using our Europa League betting tips and predictions.
