Barcelona 2 Man Utd 2: United hold on to seal draw as Rashford puts them in driving seat in Europa League thriller
XAVI had warned his team that Marcus Rashford could be their undoing.
So it almost proved as marvellous Marcus scored one and set up another as Manchester United battled out a draw in the Nou Camp.
Forget the fact that this was a Europa League game. Forget it was the first leg of a play-off with just a place in the last 16 of the little loved competition as the reward for winning the tie.
The fixture and the names of the two clubs meant this was special and so was the game.
The build up had certainly suggested this would be a cracker.
After all it was Barcelona versus Manchester United, two heavyweights of the game, even if they have become a bit lightweight of late.
But with the Spanish giants leading La Liga by eight points and United showing signs they were on their way back it is certainly better times now than of late both at the Nou Camp and Old Trafford.
Both managers Xavi and Erik Ten Hag had praised the jobs each other were doing at their respective clubs.
Ten Hag also talked up the influence of Johan Cruyff on both himself and Barca.
While the magical football the Dutch legend sprinkled on football pitch was in short supply in the first half the second was a different matter as the team’s shared four goals.
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Marcos Alonso gave the home side a 50th minute lead before Rashford levelled things up two minutes later and then fired in the cross that Jules Kounde turned past his own goalkeeper on 59.
United looked to be heading towards only their second ever win over the five time European Cup winners but Raphinha’s cross from the right wing evaded everyone and found the bottom left-hand corner for the equaliser.
The best chance of the first period would fall to Wout Weghorst and we know what that means.
It is fair to say the on loan Dutchman has hardly been a hit since United bought him out of his spell at Besiktas.
Only one goal has come from his nine starts.
Ten Hag finally decided it was better he did not start up front on his own as he moved Rashford into the middle and dropped Weghorst back into a number 10 role.
It was from there that Bruno Fernandes found him with a great through ball on 28 minutes.
It left him one on one with Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Not to the surprise of the United fans high up behind in the Nou Camp that the goalkeeper came off best with the Dutchman’s shot too close to him and saved easily.
He really is not a Manchester United striker and for all the good recruitment in the summer the club’s failure to find one will prove costly in what could be an otherwise fine season.
Anthony Martial should be that man but he is always injured.
They could do with a Lewandowski who at the other end had a good effort after just nine minutes which the inform David de Gea saved well.
Then when United’s summer target Frenkie de Jong found him on 25 minutes it was Raphael Varane to the rescue nicking the ball off his toe.
Jadon Sancho would have a great chance at the start of the second half.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka crossed from the right, Weghorst’s attempted flick with his instep deflected to Sancho who with nobody on him sent a clear shot the wrong side of the near post.
It proved even more costly when two minutes later a Raphinha corner found Marcos Alonso at the far post and his downward header squeezed between De Gea and the near post.
Quite what Fred was complaining about is anyone’s guess as it was his man and he lost him.
Still the Brazilian would redeem himself with the through ball two minutes later for Rashford to score.
What a finish it was too from the 25-year-old brimming with confidence as he fired a shot inside the near post.
He was instrumental in United taking the lead just short of the hour as he received a shot corner from Luke Shaw and pinged the ball across the six-yard box.
Bruno Fernandes got a flick on it and the ball went in off Kounde.
United claimed the same Barcelona player had fouled Rashford in the area on 63 miniutes as he looked to have barged him off the ball.
Ten Hag certainly thought so and got a yellow card for his vehement protests as no sport-kick was awarded.
Barcelona equalised when former Leeds winger Raphinha crossed from the right and the ball evaded everyone and found the far bottom corner.
United would be happy to hang on in the end when chaos ensued in their penalty area as the ball rattled around, hit the post and De Gea saved.
It was some second half as a packed Nou Camp appreciated at the final whistle.