Manchester United and Barcelona meet in the Europa League for the first time on Thursday as two of the competition's favourites face off in the knockout round play-offs.
While it may be United's first experience of this recently introduced round, which pits the runners-up from the Europa League group stage with the third-placed teams dropping down from the Champions League group stage, Barcelona do have previous from last season. In the first campaign since its introduction, Xavi's side beat Napoli to reach the round of 16, and also advanced against Galatasaray from there, before being eliminated by the eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals.
Erik ten Hag's team travelling to the Catalan capital means it is consecutive European away trips to Spain after concluding Group E with a visit to Real Sociedad. Only winning 1-0 in San Sebastian, coupled with United's inferior goal difference, is the reason that they're even playing against Barcelona at this stage of the competition in the first place.
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Expected Barcelona line-up
Sergio Busquets and Ousmane Dembele are set to be injury absentees for the hosts after missing the weekend win over Villarreal. The latter has not featured since the end of January and may well miss the whole month of February, including the return leg at Old Trafford, with a hamstring issue.
Gavi is expected to continue deputising in the front three alongside former Leeds United player Raphinha on either side of Robert Lewandowski. Franck Kessie replaced Busquets at El Madrigal on Sunday and is again expected to line up alongside Pedri and Frenkie de Jong if Gavi is positioned further forward.
The back four and goalkeeper remains a settled bunch, with Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, ex-Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen and Alejandro Balde all protecting Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The only change that could come is Jordi Alba replacing the teenage Balde at left-back.
Expected Barcelona XI: Ter Stegen; Kounde, Araujo, Christensen, Alba; Pedri, De Jong, Kessie; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Gavi.
Expected United line-up
Suspensions will force Ten Hag into changes for this one, with the switch in competition seeing Casemiro made available, but Lisandro Martinez and Marcel Sabitzer not as they serve one-match suspensions for yellow card accumulation. With the Bayern Munich loanee needing to drop out, Casemiro is expected to return to a midfield comprising of compatriot Fred and Bruno Fernandes in a more advanced role.
Further forward, another change could see Wout Weghorst drop out in favour of a more mobile front three with Marcus Rashford through the middle. The in-form centre-forward would then be flanked on either side by Jadon Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho.
At the back, a recall for Raphael Varane is on the cards at the expense of captain Harry Maguire, but, aside from that, the defence is anticipated to stay the same, with Luke Shaw partnering the former Real Madrid centre-back as Diogo Dalot and Tyrell Malacia flank the pair. It would be a surprise were David de Gea not to remain an ever-present presence between the sticks in this competition.
Expected United XI: De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Shaw, Malacia; Fernandes, Casemiro, Fred; Sancho, Rashford, Garnacho.
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