Xavi has named four players his Barcelona side need to watch out for on Thursday night as he praised Erik ten Hag for the improvements he's made at Old Trafford this season.
The Spanish outfit are preparing for their Europa League second-leg decider in M16 having played out a thrilling 2-2 draw at Camp Nou in the opener last week. United took the lead in Catalonia last Thursday through a Jules Kounde own-goal after Marcus Rashford had cancelled out Marcos Alonso's opener, but Raphinha's strike ensured the home side escaped with a draw.
United now have the advantage of playing on home soil and Xavi is well aware of the challenge ahead of his side. Ten Hag has worked wonders at United this season and Xavi highlighted the form of four players as proof of the Dutchman's work.
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“He [Ten Hag] is very good, I like him a lot," Xavi told The Times. "He has built a team and is getting the best out of all his players. That speaks well of him. Tactically he is very good and he handles the dressing room very well.
"He is getting all the talent out of his players. You see [Jadon] Sancho, [Marcus] Rashford, the Portuguese guy [Bruno Fernandes]. And look how Fred is playing.”
Xavi insisted his side would be looking to play on the front foot on Thursday night but knows his side will need to produce a superb display if they're to make it through to the next round.
“Difficult? Well, we’ve known that since [the draw was made]," the Barca boss added. "We are a brave team that likes to attack and always win. [This game] will not be an exception.
"It’s like a big Champions League game that, due to circumstances — because we’ve made mistakes and because both teams are ultimately in a building phase — is being played in the Europa League. But for the fans, it’s a massively interesting match. And, for the players, one of those matches that everyone wants to play at least once in their life.”
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