Antony scored a brilliant goal to keep Man Utd in the tournament.
Manchester United defeated Barcelona 2-1 in the Europa League playoffs on Thursday. A 4-3 win on aggregate was enough for Erik ten Hag’s men to reach the tournament’s last-16 round.
A second-half comeback!
Man Utd started off as the better side, pushing for an early opener. Bruno Fernandes missed a golden opportunity to put his side ahead as he missed a one-on-one situation.
However, it was Barca who managed to open the scoring at Old Trafford. Following a foul from Fernandes on Alejandro Balde, the referee pointed to the penalty spot.
Robert Lewandowski converted the spot-kick despite David De Gea getting his fingers to the ball. Barca went ahead, and United struggled to maintain their attacking momentum after conceding the goal.
Erik ten Hag replaced Wout Weghorst with Antony at the beginning of the second half. The Red Devils went on to find the equalizer only a minute after the break.
An assist from Fernandes found Fred, who smashed the ball past Marc-Andre ter Stegen with a powerful shot from the edge of the box.
Man Utd remained in control of the game after the equalizer, putting more and more pressure on Barca’s backline. After a host of missed chances, the Red Devils finally scored the match-winning goal in the 73rd minute.
A series of blocked shots inside Barca’s box led to a loose ball right in front of Antony. The Brazil international then made it 2-1 for the hosts with a perfect low strike into the far corner of the net.
Barca remained uninspiring in attack even after conceding the goal. The Catalans lacked enough momentum to get past Man Utd’s well-organized backline.
Ten Hag’s side reach the Europa League round of 16 as Barca suffer another setback in a continental competition.
The Red Devils must now prepare for the EFL Cup final, where they meet Newcastle on Sunday.
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