Marcus Rashford lit up the Nou Camp as Manchester United and Barcelona performed out a rip-roaring 2-2 draw within the first leg of their Europa League knockout play-off conflict.
The worldwide giants fought for Champions League glory within the 2009 and 2011 finals, however current travails imply they had been enjoying away from the continent’s prime desk as they proceed their respective rebuilds.
Thursday’s eagerly-anticipated assembly lived as much as the billing as Rashford scored his 22nd purpose of the season and fizzed within the cross that Jules Kounde was his personal purpose as United responded beautifully to Marcos Alonso’s 50th-minute opener for Barcelona.
United shone in Spain however Raphinha’s cross discovered its method into the online to peg them again and sparked a breathless conclusion to a wild tie, establishing a mouth-watering return fixture at Previous Trafford subsequent week.
Erik ten Hag’s gamers heeded his request to take the sport to the runaway LaLiga leaders, who had Marc-Andre ter Stegen to thank for maintaining the primary leg goalless at half-time.
Bruno Fernandes brilliantly put Wout Weghorst via however the on-loan frontman couldn’t beat the goalkeeper, who additionally stopped in-form Rashford bending a shot house.
For all of United’s positivity it was Barcelona that took the lead 5 minutes into the second half as former Chelsea defender Alonso rose to move house a nook.
However Ten Hag’s males are product of stern stuff and Rashford is within the type of his life, with the ahead thumping house from an acute angle after which sending over a ball that Kounde was his personal purpose.
It was a mightily spectacular show however United had been to not finish with a 2-1 comeback win on the Nou Camp like 1999, with Raphinha’s harmful cross entering into – maybe by way of a slight Robert Lewandowski contact.
Ten Hag praised England ahead Rashford and the efforts of his facet.
“He’s in nice type,” the United boss stated. “The entire group did nicely. It was a very good group efficiency. We had quite a lot of variation.
“We had quite a lot of alternatives and we must always have gained this recreation.”
