Champions League QF: Manchester United v Barcelona - Build Up Thread

Wednesday at Stoke

Full Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2014
Messages
21,629
Location
Copenhagen
Supports
Time Travel
It's like I'm reading some depression suicide watch thread, what's wrong with you all?

We will win. Not in a pretty way but we will.
Yeah, I only hope our squad is completely healthy for both legs because this is a tough test. I fancy us getting goals against their defense.
 

KM

I’m afraid I just blue myself
Joined
Sep 18, 2008
Messages
49,718
We've as much chance as knocking out PSG in round of 16.
 

Nr.7

New Member
Newbie
Joined
May 27, 2017
Messages
341
Worst possible draw in terms of chances going through.
Great draw in terms of big european nights.

They’ll beat us comfortably.
 

izec

Full Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Messages
27,164
Location
Lucilinburhuc
We need to have 2 very good days. It is a decent draw, could have been worse, but of course also better. A top team that isnt a domestic rival and had some shit knockout games in the past, i take it. If they are as lazy and arrogant as PSG, we can win it. If they turn up twice, then they will quite comfortably dominate us.
 

Djemba-Djemba

Full Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2007
Messages
21,157
Location
Manchester
The CL finals have scarred us but this isn't the same Barcelona. They're mortal now, obviously they're favourites as long as they have Messi but I really think we can do it.
 

charlenefan

Far less insightful than the other Charley
Joined
Aug 17, 2005
Messages
33,052
So this a fair guess at how they'll line up?

----------Ter Stegen----------
Roberto--Pique--Lenglet--Alba
-----------Busquets-----------
----Rakitic----------Arthur----
Messi-------Suarez-------Dembele

Back to the 4-4-2 diamond with split strikers for us? Put Lingard on Busquets, certainly feel Martial/Rashford/Lukaku can get goals against their defence

The worry for me in their line up would be Messi (obvs), Arthur and Dembele
 

FujiVice

Full Member
Joined
May 8, 2013
Messages
7,224
-20 years after the Treble.
-Ole's back.
-We've beat Juventus at their patch.
-Playing Barca like we did on route to 99.
-Back at Camp Nou, where Ole scored in injury time.

Stars are all coming together. Believe.
 

Sterling Archer

New Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2016
Messages
4,289
Wooo!!! This has to be one of the best ties in a long time. A month for our injured players to get back to full match fitness and sharpness.

Herrera is going to be key to this.
 

Offside

Euro 2016 sweepstake winner
Joined
Jun 9, 2012
Messages
26,627
Location
London
I don’t think Barcelona are what they were but we need to play a hell of a lot better than we did against PSG. That first leg was pretty pathetic. I’m sure we will though.
 

deadrevelz

New Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2016
Messages
1,028
I still get PTSD flashbacks of those CL finals. I know they are not as good now, but I have a serious inferiority complex about Barca. Would have taken any other draw tbh.
I also think the further they go in a competition the better they get. Just have to hope they see us as such an underdog they take their eye off the ball... it's possible considering all the talk in football is how we were lucky against PSG.
 

Kush

Hyperbolic and will post where they like!!
Joined
Mar 30, 2010
Messages
3,440
I only hope we give a good account of ourselves and not get embarrassed.
 

Rozay

Master of Hindsight
Joined
Oct 22, 2012
Messages
27,025
Location
...
My main issue is that the strain the squad will be under over the next 6 weeks. Every single game is difficult and important. If we get past Wolves, we will really be under it. We can’t afford to drop a single point in the league and the Cups are approaching crunch time.
 

Ali Dia

Full Member
Joined
May 10, 2013
Messages
14,136
Location
Souness's Super Sub/George Weahs Talented Cousin
I think we are going to lose, but hopefully we keep fighting like we did vs PSG. In CL you never know, we can draw inspiration from Chelsea.

Also our luck this year has been shit when it comes to draws.

In CL we played Juventus in group stage, then PSG, Barca. If we win then might be Liverpool
In FA Cup we played Arsenal away, Chelsea away and now we will play Wolves away.
This. Liverpool have a far easier draw than us and to be fair they are still a bit better than us. I think Barca have to be favs to win it outright so no shame in going out to them. City will win their tie with energy in hand at the emoptyhad
 

Cee90

Redcafe Fantasy Football Champion 2012/13
Joined
May 4, 2009
Messages
5,019
Location
N2402
I'm so pissed off with that draw, absolute nightmare.

Hard to think of many positives, apart from a nice trip to Barcelona.

City or Liverpool are winning it this year.
 

Treble

Full Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2008
Messages
10,550
I'm so pissed off with that draw, absolute nightmare.

Hard to think of many positives, apart from a nice trip to Barcelona.

City or Liverpool are winning it this year.
Repeat of 2008 when United and Chelsea battled it out in the PL and met in the CL final. Think that may well happen.
 

cyberman

Full Member
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
37,331
from Reddit

The biggest issue in my opinion is that we face Atletico right before the first leg, a game in which we cannot rest anyone. Also, we have a midweek la Liga game as well prior to that. I really hope players are not tired like they were against Roma last year.
 

AgentP

Full Member
Joined
Jun 7, 2013
Messages
4,957
Location
Chennai
Playing the second leg away is a huge disadvantage especially against Barca. Anyway, let's give it a go and hopefully we won't be embarrassed.
 

Ayush_reddevil

Éire Abú
Joined
Mar 22, 2014
Messages
10,665
All those certain that we will lose obviously didn't watch round of 16 . Knockout ties with so much pressure are decided on small margins. They are obviously favs but silly to suggest that we don't have a chance
 

shaky

Full Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2014
Messages
2,515
We can beat anyone on our day. I guess the people already writing us off are the same ones who wrote us out of top 4 a few months ago, and gave up on PSG after the first leg. Some people just like being miserable i guess.
 

Treble

Full Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2008
Messages
10,550
from Reddit

The biggest issue in my opinion is that we face Atletico right before the first leg, a game in which we cannot rest anyone. Also, we have a midweek la Liga game as well prior to that. I really hope players are not tired like they were against Roma last year.
Barca lead Atleti by 7 pts though and may rest who they want.
 

carvajal

Full Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2015
Messages
11,053
Location
Spain
Supports
Real Madrid
Against PSG I was confident that you would get a good result. My prediction was for the first leg where I presumed that the players would show that they are capable of competing, as a way of proving themselves after Mourinho.
It did not result in Manchester but it did look in Paris.
Barcelona have several players in a very good form, Suárez, Rakitic, Dembelé, Piqué and above all, they are a very difficult team to break.
They control the game very well and end up breaking you.
A game with a lot of intensity,pressing, on the edge of the yellow card (Roma last year) trying to trouble the play and without getting relaxed defensively thinking that they will surrender after ten minutes of siege.
The problem,the plan is better if the second leg is at home and Valverde Will be very cautious after the accident at Roma last year.
 

groovyalbert

it's a mute point
Joined
Feb 14, 2013
Messages
9,608
Location
London
Need to be in a position to progress going into the second leg. No way Barca throw away any sort of lead at home.
 

Sylar

Full Member
Joined
May 15, 2007
Messages
40,255
Ole winning it 20 years on within Camp Nou. Would be great.
Barca lead Atleti by 7 pts though and may rest who they want.
Hoping Atleti make up at least one games worth by then, (if its 4 points and barca know a loss makes it 1 would mean they surely dont rest as they want to)
 

Treble

Full Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2008
Messages
10,550
Ole winning it 20 years on within Camp Nou. Would be great.


Hoping Atleti make up at least one games worth by then, (if its 4 points and barca know a loss makes it 1 would mean they surely dont rest as they want to)
Agreed, 7 pts seem a lot but might quickly become nothing.
 

Paxi

Dagestani MMA Boiled Egg Expert
Joined
Mar 4, 2017
Messages
27,678
-20 years after the Treble.
-Ole's back.
-We've beat Juventus at their patch.
-Playing Barca like we did on route to 99.
-Back at Camp Nou, where Ole scored in injury time.

Stars are all coming together. Believe.

That's more like it. So much negativity about here.
 

Greck

Full Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2016
Messages
7,099
The current Barca don't leave teams feeling dominated like the old one but they certainly leave them feeling outclassed the way they carve teams on their goals. The hope is our boys have grown from the PSG home leg where they couldn't even get the ball out from the back. Also these are the kinds of fixtures I wish we had a more tenacious destroyer. Barcelona have attacking patterns that will turn Matic into a spectator over the two legs. Will likely be in the background photo of any goal they score
 

Cee90

Redcafe Fantasy Football Champion 2012/13
Joined
May 4, 2009
Messages
5,019
Location
N2402
Bloody hell, that's negative
Yeah, sorry, I’m normally optimistic but it almost felt inevitable that we’d be screwed in the draw.

I guess we’ve had the miracle of Paris, maybe Lady Luck will shine on us again in Barcelona.

I wonder how Barca fans feel about drawing United? Surely pretty happy I’d imagine?
 
Last edited:

OnlyTwoDaSilvas

Gullible
Joined
Feb 4, 2013
Messages
21,623
Location
The Mathews Bridge
Ace. That's the tie I wanted. Another big game, it's whole reason to get into the CL in the first place for these fixtures, and we haven't played two legs against Barca since 2008. It's an overdue fixture.
 

Sarni

nice guy, unassuming, objective United fan.
Joined
Jan 21, 2004
Messages
57,441
Location
Krakow
Remember what PSG did to us at home? Barca will do that to us too, and away at the nou camp.

I think 4-1 Barca on aggregate.
Yeah, scored from a counter attack and a set piece to win an otherwise close game and we rewrote history to make it sound like they absolutely killed us.
 

Oliver_

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Feb 7, 2019
Messages
31
You know what? I feel really confident. We have a realistic chance and I'm sure Barca won't like this draw.
 

Ayush_reddevil

Éire Abú
Joined
Mar 22, 2014
Messages
10,665
Against PSG I was confident that you would get a good result. My prediction was for the first leg where I presumed that the players would show that they are capable of competing, as a way of proving themselves after Mourinho.
It did not result in Manchester but it did look in Paris.
Barcelona have several players in a very good form, Suárez, Rakitic, Dembelé, Piqué and above all, they are a very difficult team to break.
They control the game very well and end up breaking you.
A game with a lot of intensity,pressing, on the edge of the yellow card (Roma last year) trying to trouble the play and without getting relaxed defensively thinking that they will surrender after ten minutes of siege.
The problem,the plan is better if the second leg is at home and Valverde Will be very cautious after the accident at Roma last year.
Dembele is out of the tie . All I see from Barca fans for Suarez is criticism so I am not sure about the form