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Barcelona will take on Manchester United in a mouth-watering Europa League Round of 32 clash at the Camp Nou on Thursday (February 16). Both European heavyweights have been impressive in recent domestic outings and are among the favorites for the competition.
Barcelona seem to be back at their brilliant best under Xavi this season, having won their last 11 games in all competitions to establish an eight-point lead over defending La Liga champions Real Madrid.
Similarly, the Red Devils come on the back of a dominant run, riding on Marcus Rashford's incredible goalscoring exploits to win five out of their last six games across all competitions.
The rivalry between the two iconic clubs has produced some of the most memorable encounters in European football, and this game promises to be intense as well.
Hence, this article will look at three key battles that could determine the outcome of this encounter.
Barcelona vs Manchester United: 3 key battles
#3 Casemiro vs Frenkie de Jong
Ever since joining Manchester United last summer, Casemiro has been one of the most consistent players for the club and his overall contributions in both attack and defense have been outstanding.
The Brazilian midfielder has netted four goals and registered five assists in 30 appearances for the Red Devils this season. Casemiro has added some much-needed steel to the United midfield, shielding the backline with his domineering physical presence in the middle of the park.
Meanwhile, Frenkie de Jong will have to organize his midfield properly if he intends to get the better of the former Real Madrid man. The Dutch midfielder, who was one of the Red Devils' top targets last summer, has established himself as one of the standout performers for the Catalans this season. His intricate passing and dribbling will be crucial in unlocking the United defense.
Winning the midfield battle will be key for both sides and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.
#2 Robert Lewandowski vs Raphael Varane
Arguably one of the deadliest strikers in the world, Robert Lewandowski is clinical and his attacking intuition is remarkable.
The Polish forward has netted 23 goals and has registered six assists in 27 appearances for Barcelona this season.
Monitoring his movements in the final third is a tough task and Raphael Varane will have his work cut out.
However, Varane's defensive intuition and ball-winning prowess has been immense this season. It remains to be seen if he will be able to keep Lewandowski under wraps in the absence of his defensive partner Lisandro Martinez.
#1 Marcus Rashford vs Ronald Araújo
Marcus Rashford is perhaps the most in-form forward in the world currently. The Englishman has been sensational in recent months, scoring or assisting in 13 of Manchester United's last 15 games across competitions.
Rashford is enjoying the best season of his career, having netted a total of 21 goals and has registered eight assists in 34 appearances so far. Monitoring his movements in attack is a tough task as he's very tricky and fast with the ball. He could also dribble past his opponent in quick succession and produce a decent finish as well.
However, Ronald Araujo sits at the heart of the best defensive unit across Europe. The Uruguayan centre-back has helped Barca keep 16 clean sheets in 21 La Liga games this term, with the Catalans conceding just seven goals so far.
Araújo has often been deployed at right-back to keep pacey wingers like Vinicius Jr. in check, and Xavi could opt for a similar approach against Rashford.
