Manchester United star shot-stopper David de Gea is eager to face Barcelona as the two giants meet in the round of 16 of the Europa League.
The Old Trafford team came in second place in UEL Group E. In terms of goal difference, we fell short of Real Sociedad and hence, they have to face a team that has been knocked out of the UCL.
United must now take on the Catalan heavyweights in February. However, even if the tie doesn’t seem easy, United players are ready to face Barcelona in one of the hottest contests of the league.
Speaking to the team’s official website, De Gea acknowledged that Barcelona will be a tough opponent to beat. The Spaniard, however, is looking forward to the challenge.
He said:
“We know Barcelona is a great team, I think they are playing well. If you want to win the Europa League, you have to play against the best teams and Barcelona is [one of these]. It’s one for the fans and we will try our best to win both games.”
In recent years, United’s record versus the Blaugrana has not been the best. The Catalans defeated us in the UCL championships in 2009 and 2011. They defeated us in the prestigious competition’s quarterfinals during the 2018–19 season. However, in the 2008 UCL semifinals, Manchester United defeated Barcelona. In the final, we defeated Chelsea in Moscow on penalties to win the title.
Fans will thus be hoping that the Old Trafford team can use their success to their advantage and defeat the Catalans in the playoffs.
