Manchester United VS Barcelona Match Prediction
2019-04-10
20:00:00
Manchester United
VS
Barcelona
Our Prediction Tip
Barcelona will win this match.
2019-04-1020:00:00 Barcelona will win this match.
The last two Champions League matches between Manchester United and Barcelona were in the 2009 and 2011 finals. Barcelona won 2-0 in 2009 and 3-1 two years later – Pedro, Lionel Messi and David Villa scored in the latter, with Wayne Rooney netting United’s goal. In total, they have faced each other 11 times in European competition, with Barcelona winning four and United three.
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When they beat Paris Saint-Germain in the last round, Manchester United were still in fine form since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had taken over as manager.
Solskjaer’s honeymoon period in charge has ended, however – three defeats in the last four matches, including two at Wolves, highlight that.
All three of those defeats were away from home, but Old Trafford has not exactly been a fortress in the Champions League either with just one home win in five in the competition too.
Compare that to Barcelona’s form, with Ernesto Valverde’s side extending their La Liga lead at the weekend with a win against Atletico Madrid.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez scored in that win, having also netted dramatic late goals in the 4-4 draw with Villarreal that preceded it.
Messi has ten goals in his last six games and 41 for the season, while Suarez has now reached the 20-goal milestone again too.
With those two in fine form, and United shakey at the back – Phil Jones and Chris Smalling not coveting themselves in glory in the most recent defeat to Wolves – Barcelona can take advantage at Old Trafford.
Paris Saint-Germain won 2-0 there in the previous round, and Barcelona could achieve a similar result in this tie to put themselves in firm control after the first leg.
Barcelona are favourites to beat Manchester United at Old Trafford, but you can still get 21/20 from Bet365 and Betfair on an away win.
United have scored in just one of their four Champions League home games this season, and you can bet against both teams to score at 5/4 with Betway and 10Bet.
Barcelona are a best price of 8/11 to score first with Ladbrokes, meanwhile, and 3/1 with Paddy Power to win to nil.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez have both scored in each of the last two matches. Messi is a best price of 21/20 to score at any time, while Suarez is 7/5.
Barcelona head to Old Trafford in fine form, with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez firing up front, and that is very ominous for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.
Marcus Rashford could return after missing the league defeat at Wolves with an ankle injury. Ander Herrera is also pushing for a return but Matteo Darmian, Eric Bailly, Antonio Valencia and Alexis Sanchez remain sidelined. Though suspended in the league, Ashley Young and Luke Shaw are likely to feature on either side of the back four, while Paul Pogba – himself suspended prior to the win in Paris in the quarter-final second leg – is available again.
Marcus Rashford – Goals in his last two matches continued a season which improved dramatically following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s appointment as manager.
Anthony Martial – The Frenchman scored in the win against Watford and is back from his own recent injury troubles.
Paul Pogba – While they won in Paris without him, there is little doubt the Frenchman is integral to Solskjaer’s United – his improvement under the new manager has been marked.
Manchester United have only won one of the four matches they have played since victory in Paris earned their place in this Champions League quarter-final. They lost 2-0 to Arsenal next up, and have twice lost 2-1 at Wolves too – once in the FA Cup and, most recently, in the Premier League. Marcus Rashford scored a very late goal in the cup tie, while Scott McTominay opened the scoring last time out, only for Ashley Young to be sent off and for Chris Smalling to score an own goal in United’s defeat. In between, Rashford and Antony Martial scored in a 2-1 win against Watford.
Ousmane Dembele has been included in Barcelona’s travelling party but is unlikely to start, if he features at all, as he continues his recovery from injury. Rafinha and Thomas Vermaelen are definitely out. Nelson Semedo and Malcom are among the substitutes from the win against Atletico Madrid who are pushing for a starting place.
Lionel Messi – Does any more need to be said about the Argentinean maestro, who scored his tenth goal in six matches when he netted against Atletico at the weekend?
Luis Suarez – The former Liverpool striker has returned from injury to score in each of the last two matches to move to 20 for the season.
Philippe Coutinho – Another former Liverpool man in the Barcelona ranks, Coutinho needs to perform with Dembele back from injury.
Barcelona have won five and drawn one of their last six matches. The one blip was away to Villarreal, where it took late goals from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez to rescue a 4-4 draw in a game Barca were leading 2-0 through Philippe Coutinho and Malcom’s early strikes. They were back on top form last time out, however, as Suarez and Messi struck again in a 2-0 win against second-placed Atletico Madrid.
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