Barcelona manager, Xavi Hernandez, says the club have been handed the toughest possible draw after being paired with Manchester United in the Europa League’s knockout round play-off.
Barca will compete in the Europa League after the turn of the year as a result of their failure to advance from a UEFA Champions League group containing Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.
They have now suffered successive group-stage eliminations from the UEFA Champions League for the second time, having also done so under Louis van Gaal in the 1997/1998 and 1998/1999 campaigns.
The Blaugrana were beaten by eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt in the last eight of the Europa League last term, and Xavi said they had been unfortunate once again following Monday’s draw.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Osasuna in La Liga, the manager said: “We will have to compete, going to Manchester against a really tough rival.
READ ALSO: Referee issues 10 red cards in Cup final match
“It’s a historic rival that has grown a lot with the arrival of Erik ten Hag, with great individual players. We have been given the most difficult rival, yet again, in the Europa League.
“It’s a massive challenge for us, our players will probably be more motivated against a strong team.”
Barca’s next European tie will see them reunited with their old foe Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 20 goals in 34 games against the Blaugrana.
He scored against them in La Liga (nine), the UEFA Champions League (two), the Copa del Rey (five), and the Supercopa de Espana (four).
Xavi refuted suggestions the Manchester United striker is in decline in spite of his struggles this season, adding: “He seems to me to be a great player who has marked an era, and he can still make a difference.”
Shipping Association of Nigeria (SAN) has expressed its concern about what it referred to as…
The Kogi State judiciary has plunged into its worst crisis in years, as fresh accounts…
Content creator and actress Ashmushy says 2025 was a defining year of recovery, growth, and…
The succession contest for the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland has intensified with Fuji…
Ten university students have been confirmed dead, while three others were injured in a restaurant…
The President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, says the era of fuel queues during yuletide…
This website uses cookies.