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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s army will have another mountain to climb when they face Barcelona at the Camp Nou in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday. The Red Devils lost the home leg 0-1 courtesy of an own goal by Luke Shaw. But there is still plenty to play for in the second leg as the Barca’s lead is not very significant.
The odds are stacked against Manchester United. If they want to progress in the Champions League semi-final, they will have to rewrite the Champions League history. Manchester United have never beaten Barcelona in their own backyard in a European competition. The last time these two sides faced each other at the Camp Nou, it ended in a goal-less draw. The Blaugrana also holds the record for the longest unbeaten home run in the Champions League.
The Red Devils have the history of producing the unthinkable but will have to perform a huge task of beating Barcelona on their own turf. We pick 3 reasons why Manchester United can still progress to the next round of the Champions League.
#1 Barcelona’s quarter-final curse
It has been 4 years since Barcelona has progressed into the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. They have gone out thanks to Atletico Madrid, Juventus and AS Roma in the past 3 seasons. Last season’s quarter-final against Roma would have hurt the Blaugrana the most. They won their home game 4-1 and the away leg seemed like a formality. But they managed to let their 3 goal cushion slip in the second leg and were dumped out of the competition on away goals. Barcelona’s quarter-final curse in the Champions League will give Manchester United players some hope of turning the tie around.
#2 Belief from the turnaround against Paris Saint-Germain
"Mountains are there to be climbed, aren't they?" the Red Devils boss said after his team lost the home leg 0-2 against Paris Saint-Germain. It looked like an impossible task for them to progress to the next round as no team in the Champions League history had qualified for the next round after losing the home leg by 2 goals or more. Furthermore, they found themselves without 10 first-team players for the game in Paris. But the players, as well as the manager, did not stop believing and managed to beat PSG 1-3, performing a footballing miracle.
The Manchester United players will step onto the pitch full of belief against Barcelona. The deficit is not too significant and if they manage to open the scoring, they could well turn the tie on its head.
#3 Brilliant away record in the Champions League
Manchester United's away form in the Champions League is much better than their home form. The Red Devils have won just 1 game at home in the entire UCL campaign this season, scoring just 1 goal. But their away record is what catches the eye. They have lost just once away from home and have managed to beat the likes of Juventus and Paris Saint Germain.
The reason for Manchester United's success away from home is their playing style. They love to hit the opposition on the counter and have pace and quality at their disposal to implement this style effectively. The Blaugrana have struggled against sides who sit in a low block and look to hit them on the counter-attack. Manchester United will fancy their chances if they manage to get the first goal.
