Manchester United vs Barcelona Leg 2 Odds & Picks – Champions League Quarterfinals
- Barcelona lead 1-0 from away Leg 1
- Man Utd chase another famous comeback
- Messi & Co rested before tie
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Manchester United manager, will be returning to the scene of his greatest triumph.
But he faces an uphill battle against Barcelona in the Champions League Quarterfinal Leg 2 at Camp Nou on Tuesday, April 16, 3:00pm EST.
Manchester United vs Barcelona Leg 2 Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total | Odds To Qualify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona | -1.5 (+105) | -263 | O 3, 3.5 (-103) | -1000 |
| Manchester United | +1.5 (-121) | +660 | U 3, 3.5 (+113) | +600 |
| Draw | N/A | +360 | N/A | N/A |
*Odds taken April 15, 2019
After the 1-0 victory by the Spanish giants in the first encounter at Old Trafford last Wednesday, Barca are favored at -263 to advance to the last four.
Neither United nor Barcelona were at their dazzling best in the first match, which was settled by an own goal from Luke Shaw after only four minutes.
Barca Have Never Lost at Home to Man Utd
They have never lost at home to Man United in four meetings (W2, D2) which helps explain why the English club is rated as +600 underdogs to advance.
The victory in England last week also hoisted Barca above Manchester City as favorites to win the competition for the first time since 2015. The UCL final will take place at the Wanda Metrpolitano Stadium in Madrid, on Saturday, June 1, 3:00pm EST.
Solskjaer Scored Late Winner in Final at Camp Nou
Manchester United have some important pedigree when it comes to upsetting the odds with particular relevance to this tie, however.
The Camp Nou Stadium is where they recovered from 0-1 down in extra time to defeat Bayern Munich, 2-1, in the 1999 Champions League final, with the Norwegian Solskjaer scoring the dramatic late winner.
Barcelona vs Manchester United UCL Stats
| 9 | Games | 9 |
| 6 | Wins | 5 |
| 20 | Goals | 10 |
| 1 | Penalties | 2 |
| 50 | Corners | 35 |
| 4 | Clean sheets | 3 |
That match is enshrined in the club’s folklore as epitomising the unquenchable spirit which has seen them triumph against all expectations many times in European competition.
There was vivid evidence of this in the round of 16 this season.
Barca Have Won Two UCL Finals Against Red Devils
United staged a remarkable comeback after losing 2-0 at home in Leg 1 against Paris St. Germain.
Two goals from Romelu Lukaku and a late penalty from Marcus Rashford earned them a memorable 3-1 win in the French capital to hand them a place in the last eight for the first time since 2013-14. This was thanks to the away goals counting as double rule in the case of a drawn aggregate score.
Next Match: Barcelona Away pic.twitter.com/eKs4KgtmRF
— MUFC Flags & Banners (@mufc_banners) April 14, 2019
The English club will attempt to summon up that spirit once again to set against the painful fact that they have twice been beaten by Barca in Champions League finals in 2009 and 2011.
Barca Turned Focus to UCL Mission
The Spaniards prepared for Tuesday’s tie with an unimpressive 0-0 draw in La Liga against Huesca on Saturday. Four new players made their debuts for Barca.
Messi was one of six leading performers absent in a goalless draw away at Huesca.
Captain and talisman Lionel Messi was one of six leading performers absent from the game with the focus much more sharply tuned towards the visit of United.
Sergio Busquets was also rested while Luis Suarez and Gerard Pique were suspended. Ivan Rakitic was ill and Sergi Roberto was injured.
? Valverde: "We are aware of the potential of Manchester United, and we have to close the spaces so that they don't have options. If they have space, they are a very strong team"
?? #BarçaMUFC pic.twitter.com/SasO5MyP57
— FC Barcelona (from ?) (@FCBarcelona) April 15, 2019
There was a return to action for winger Ousmane Dembele, who made his comeback after a month out with a hamstring injury.
Coach Ernesto Valverde’s team have a nine-point lead at the top of La Liga and had the luxury of prioritising the Champions League. They have not advanced beyond the quarterfinals in the past three seasons.
Pogba’s Penalties Win Contest Against West Ham Utd
United’s preparations were much more demanding as they are involved in a fierce battle in the EPL to secure a top four finish, which would earn a place in next season’s Champions League.
Solskjaer all but confirmed McTominay will be one of the changes in Barcelona #mufc https://t.co/z7wyBUOs4l
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) April 14, 2019
They defeated West Ham United, 2-1, at Old Trafford on Saturday. It was a close-fought contest and United were fortunate to win thanks to two controversial penalty goals from Paul Pogba.
It placed them fifth with 64 points in the EPL table.
In a gruelling spell in which they have won only twice in six games, United now face another stringent task to overcome the odds in Spain.
Paul Scholes makes Man Utd vs Barcelona prediction after West Ham win https://t.co/0NLnD190gu pic.twitter.com/UdAM20Psdk
— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) April 14, 2019
Spaniards Undefeated at Home in UCL for Six Years
Man U will have to recover some of the sparkle they showed when Solskjaer first replaced the ousted Jose Mourinho. Barca have not lost a European knockout match at Camp Nou since they were defeated 3-0 by Bayern Munich in Leg 2 of the 2012/13 semi-final.
Barca have not lost a European knockout match at Camp Nou since they were defeated 3-0 by Bayern Munich in Leg 2 of the 2012/13 semi-final.
Although Barcelona eventually failed to get past Roma in last season’s quarterfinals following a 3-0 defeat in Italy which overturned a 4-1 home leg advantage, they won both their home games in the knockout rounds of that campaign.
John Dillon is a leading member of the UK's sporting media, having spent three decades as a national newspaper soccer and sports writer, broadcaster and author. He has covered five World Cups, six European Championships and was Chief Sports Writer at the Daily Express for 14 years.
