Form guide: FC Barcelona vs Manchester United (Europa League)

On Thursday night, Barcelona will host Manchester United in the opening leg of their Europa League playoff in a colossal match-up between two European powerhouses at Camp Nou.

The upcoming matchup between Manchester United and Barcelona over two legs will be their first in Europe’s secondary club tournament, despite the fact that the two teams have already cemented their names in Champions League annals. It should be an exciting match-up as both the teams are in great form at the moment.

After finishing third in their group in the Champions League, Barcelona dropped down to the Europa League knockout rounds for the second season in succession.

Even though they crushed Viktoria Plzen twice at home and away, the Catalan giants were unable to secure a top-two finish since they only managed to earn one point in four games against Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, and subsequently went on to finish below them in third.

United, on the other hand, struggled early in this year’s group stage. They lost to Real Sociedad by a slim margin of 1-0 at home after Lisandro Martinez was unjustly penalised inside United’s box for allegedly handling the ball on purpose, for which he received a yellow card, and is set to miss the upcoming encounter due to suspension.

However, Ten Hag’s unit has bounced back well, winning five straight matches, but they eventually had to accept a second-place finish place underneath Sociedad on goal difference, requiring them to advance to the playoff round rather than securing an instantaneous qualification spot in the round of 16.

As for the latest form of either side, here is a break down of how each team has faired ahead of the fixture.

Manchester United

Last five games: W, W, W, D, W

In the league, United sit third in the table with 46 points. They have picked up two wins, two draws and one loss in their last five games in the league and their most recent result was a 2-0 win away at Leeds as Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho picked up the goals.

In terms of cup competitions, United have fared fairly strongly. They are on the way to Wembley as they defeated Nottingham Forrest 5-0 over the course of two games to advance to the final of the Carabao Cup. They have also moved on to the fifth round of the FA Cup, where they will face West Ham United.

FC Barcelona

Last five games: W, W, W, W, W

Xavi’s team is currently on course to win their first La Liga title in four years as they have an 11-point lead at the top, although they have played a game more than their opponents. Barca’s nearly flawless top-flight record has corresponded with a wobble in form from rivals and defending champions Real Madrid.

In the La Liga, the Catalans have won all of their last five games. In terms of cup competitions, they recently beat Real Madrid 3-1 to triumph the Super Cup, while they also put Real Sociedad to the sword 1-0 in order to reach the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey.