Former Manchester United star Owen Hargreaves has named which player he would bring into the starting eleven if he was Erik ten Hag, with a serious Barcelona concern identified.
Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag© PA Images
Man Utd impressed as they drew 2-2 with Barcelona in a pulsating Europa League match at the Camp Nou on Thursday night. The visitors should have taken the lead when Wout Weghorst was sent through on goal in the first half. But the striker’s shot was saved by Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.
Barca took the lead in the 50th minute when Marcos Alonso headed a Raphinha corner past David de Gea. But the Barca fans were not singing for long as Marcus Rashford continued his brilliant form by equalising two minutes later.
The attacker raced past Alonso and somehow managed to beat Ter Stegen at his near post with a low drive. It saw Rashford match his best ever tally in a single season (22 goals).
And Rashford was involved again when Man Utd took the lead in the 59th minute. He took on Raphinha before sending the ball across the face of Barca’s goal. The Spanish outfit failed to clear and Jules Kounde ended up netting an own goal.
There was to be more drama though when Raphinha’s deep cross found its way into De Gea’s bottom corner. Robert Lewandowski looked like he was going to reach it but did not quite do this, and his movement confused De Gea.
At 2-2, the Europa League knockout round play-off is perfectly poised for Thursday’s return leg. And Hargreaves has given Ten Hag some advice on how Man Utd can progress.
The former midfielder believes Barca struggled to contain their opponents during transitions of play. And young winger Alejandro Garnacho is the ‘perfect’ man to capitalise on this.
Man Utd winger can cause Barca problems, says Owen Hargreaves
“I don’t think they [Barcelona] controlled the game,” Hargreaves said on BT Sport (via the Daily Mirror). “And that is a big thing for Xavi and Barcelona.
“It felt like in the transitions they were too vulnerable, they were too open. And it feels like there will be more of those situations at Old Trafford if they are going to play that way. Maybe Garnacho plays, I think he will be perfect in that.”
It would be great to see Garnacho start such an important game for Man Utd. He is only 18 years old but is already emerging into an integral player for Ten Hag.
And with his Atletico Madrid roots, he would love to knock Barca out of Europe completely.
In the first leg, Xavi went with Ronald Araujo at right-back and Kounde in central defence. This meant Araujo could deal with Rashford. But Ten Hag changed things up by putting Rashford at number nine and Jadon Sancho on the left flank.
It remains to be seen whether Xavi goes with Araujo or Kounde on the right side of defence next time around. But whichever player operates there, Garnacho will pose them a serious problem, should he be given the nod by Ten Hag.
Source: msn
