On Thursday evening, Ten Hag’s Manchester United team drew 2-2 with Barcelona in the first leg of their Europa League play-off tie.
Barcelona manager Xavi congratulated Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag after the two sides drew 2-2 in the first leg of their Europa League play-off tie on Thursday night.
Ten Hag’s men started the game on the front foot and enjoyed a productive first half, however, the away side fell behind in the 50th minute. Former Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso headed home from close range. Despite going a goal down, United responded well and leveled proceedings through Marcus Rashford just two minutes later.
It was the Reds who got the next goal to take a 2-1 lead, with a low-driven cross from Rashford deflecting off Jules Kounde and past Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the Barcelona goal. United appeared as though they were heading towards a famous victory at Camp Nou, but Raphinha made it 2-2 in the 76th minute.
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United welcomes Barcelona to Old Trafford for the second leg of the tie next Thursday, with the game perfectly poised at 2-2. With the away goals rule no longer in force, the winner of the reverse clash will progress.
After the match, Xavi was full of praise for Ten Hag and his side, suggesting that United is “coming back”, while also insisting that the Reds made it difficult for the home side throughout the encounter.
“It was a really tough game, a really difficult game with a lot of intensity, passion, and rhythm,” Xavi said to BT Sport. “We have to be proud because we compete really well until the end. We had two chances to win, but we played today against a top European team.
“I think Manchester is coming back, and today they showed their best version. We compete extremely well, we must be proud, and now we must compete well at Old Trafford.”
“I think both teams are in more or less the same moment, same position, that we are coming back,” he added. I congratulated Ten Hag now because he is doing very well, and they are Manchester United, so yes, it could be a final, semi-final, or quarter-final in the future of the Champions League, but we are now in the Europa League.
“We’re coming back, and both teams gave their best performance today.”
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