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

Siorac

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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.
I definitely belong in that category. Being miserable is far more comforting than being hopeful. It is so cruel when your hopes are squashed.
 

Inigo Montoya

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Pogba playing through balls to our front three should really scare them, people are talking as if we don't have massive problems for them to solve as well.
I think we could get them with our width. Crowd the middle and shorten Messis area to play with and get behind Alba / push him back.
Much will depend on our midfield.

Matic worries me! Slow, ineffective and makes basic errors. He'll need to play a blinder
 

Bilbo

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Its a wonderful draw - 2 great glamour matches against a brilliant side. No shame in going out to these lot, compared to the mental torture that would have come with an English side in the draw.

Don't know why but I quite fancy our chances too
 

IRELANDUNITED

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Herrera is probably at home chomping at the bit at the thought of being Messi's shadow for 180+ minutes, I trust if anyone can nullify him, Ander can.
 

Inigo Montoya

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Its a wonderful draw - 2 great glamour matches against a brilliant side. No shame in going out to these lot, compared to the mental torture that would have come with an English side in the draw.

Don't know why but I quite fancy our chances too
True

I hated those games against Arsenal
 

Gasolin

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We have to play at OT first... it's gonna be an almost impossible task unless the players are committed to run over the pitch over and over again.
 

cyberman

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Much will depend on our midfield.

Matic worries me! Slow, ineffective and makes basic errors. He'll need to play a blinder
But Barca play a lot slower through midfield these days, its not the rabid merry go round that we were up against before.
Be it Suarez on the ball limitations or Messi covering that little less ground, it seems to be where they fall down in Europe over the last while. When they get pressed high they haven't the attacking reference for the side if Messi is marked out of the game.
It's a big game for Lionel, another poor showing here and it could be argued his performances at the elite level are over.
 

IRELANDUNITED

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Its a wonderful draw - 2 great glamour matches against a brilliant side. No shame in going out to these lot, compared to the mental torture that would have come with an English side in the draw.

Don't know why but I quite fancy our chances too

I'm starting to think the same, great players want to play in great ties and while playing Porto would be a lot easier playing Champions League ties against Barcelona is the reason players want to play in the champions league, it's games like this that make getting into the Champions League in the first place so important. We have a lot of players that can hurt them, I guarantee you Barcelona aren't overly happy with this draw either.
 

Inigo Montoya

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I'm starting to think the same, great players want to play in great ties and while playing Porto would be a lot easier playing Champions League ties against Barcelona is the reason players want to play in the champions league, it's games like this that make getting into the Champions League in the first place so important. We have a lot of players that can hurt them, I guarantee you Barcelona aren't overly happy with this draw either.
Just think how much motivation Porto have right now!

Everyone saying how weak they are etc. Team talk done
 

Annihilate Now!

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Its a wonderful draw - 2 great glamour matches against a brilliant side. No shame in going out to these lot, compared to the mental torture that would have come with an English side in the draw.

Don't know why but I quite fancy our chances too
Might be for the best to lose gracefully to Barca... i'm not sure my sanity/heart could take a Champions League Semi-Final tie against Liverpool!
 

Green_Red

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I hope I get a ticket in the ballot. I'd rather play Barca than play Ajax tbh, regardless of what the result might be.
 

Cloud7

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Lyon was very much in the tie with less than 20 minutes to go.

Very difficult but definitely possible.
There were in the tie until Messi remembered who he was and turned it on. You’re never truly safe in a tie against them unless you have a significant lead, and even then it’s not assured.
 

Cloud7

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Seriously though, very excited about this. Nights like this are what the CL is all about. This is what I live for as a football fan.

If we manage to get past Barca I can’t see who will be able to stop us from winning the thing :devil:
 

Gehrman

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Lukkaku is going to channel Drogba and have the touch and grace of a Ballerina while scoring a hattrick and use his strength to send messi flying.
 

Robin Your Persie

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People what glamour ties then moan when they get them anyway

We definitely need to beat them at Old Trafford to stand any chance of going through as the Nou Camp is a fortress for them.

Hopefully we won’t get any further injuries before the tie so we can properly take the game to them.
 

Rasendori

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It feels great to be back in the Champions League. Juventus, PSG, and now Barcelona in one campaign. What an opportunity for the lads to showcase their talent.
 

Sarni

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Yeah, nothing to lose here and everyone expects us to go out.

Thing is, they won't be exactly rubbing their hands in glee either. We've only played them in finals the last couple of times,and the occasion before that we played them in a semi and won. It's going to be tough but they're hardly unbeatable
Indeed. All their fans I know are now texting me buzzing about how they are going to beat Unitrd by 5-6 goals on aggregate, not realizing United come into this tie without any serious expectations.
 

amolbhatia50k

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Not positive about this. I feel if Ole sets us up right we coupe make life difficult for Barcelona with our physicality, but at the end of theyre better than us all other the park and Messi could toy with us.

Really crap draw.
 

Paul_Scholes18

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I think we will be up for the games and I can see some big performances. We need to set up the team right and use Pogba well. Barca press quite well, but we should have the physical edge and we need to use it. Shaw needs to deal with messi well. He got the speed for it, but need to be managed a bit before the game how he should get help.
 

Ventura

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We're stuffed! But I said that about PSG too, and it's really impossible to tell how this is going to go. I could see us going through or not. Anything seems possible now. We should have fewer injuries hopefully, so that's a plus.
 

AngryCroat

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For me it's better draw than Ajax or Porto. Great 2 matches and no pressure on us.
 

Witchking

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The problem is facing Liverpool if we ever manage to beat Barcelona. Don't think my heart can take that game. What a tough draw. We will have to beat 3 huge European heavyweights to win this. Don't think it is possible unfortunately with this team. If Ole had his own team i would have been more confident.

We will hardly see the ball and will hover around 20-25% of possession. If we do play to our strengths and have a full team available with Herrera and Lingard and Martial, we might have a chance at home, but away not sure.
 

amolbhatia50k

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This is key. I think Ole would have learned from the PSG experience and seen that it is better to let these teams have the ball up until the final third of your own end, and to then make fast transitions into counter-attacks. Against PSG at OT, the approach was different and confused. But against Barca in both legs, I think it will be clear - over both legs we will let them have the ball, play fast counters, and rely on Pogba landing some magic passes onto the path of pacy forwards.

Of course having a plan and then executing it against players who have superb close-control and movement (and proclivity to dive) is a different matter.

Still, bring it on!
It depends. I've seen Barcelona struggle plenty with teams that press them high up the pitch and play aggressively. We will sit deep though.
 
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This is the ultimate test in my eyes with regards to seeing how far the players have progressed.
Thought Barca were impeccable against Lyon,especially their closing down the spaces and suffocating Lyon's central base.
 

OJKernow

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Looking forward to it, classic European tie that will have one of those old school feels to it in terms of atmosphere and buzz.

If we're going out then it's no shame going out to them. Bring it on and enjoy the occasion!
 

Rafaeldagold

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Why’s there only 6 days between our Quarter final dates & 8 days for the other English teams?
 

Alemar

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We may win, but if we lose, it will be a loss to Messi. Whereas one may also lose to a shit team.

Their style of play will allow us to play as well, and I don’t see them man marking Pogba either - while very much see Herrera on Messi.

That said, and with God mode on by de Gea, win is not statistically insignificant probability. Also, given we play away second match, perhaps away goals help us again