Luke Shaw had said that this would show Manchester United where they are, just how real their revival is, and Barcelona felt much the same way. The answer may not be conclusive yet, and they’ll have to wait a week to find out whether or not they are even in the Europa League proper, but on Thursday at least, it was clear: somewhere fun. When Ronald Araújo leapt to head the final chance, it was the 35th attempt of what turned out to be an open, enjoyable and unexpectedly wild night. Three of them went in. A third that wasn’t supposed to also did.
Marcos Alonso scored the first and Marcus Rashford the second on a night where he scared an entire stadium every time he set off, before a Jules Koundé own goal seemed set to send United into the second leg with the lead. For a while, in fact, it appeared it would set them up to go through with a game to spare. Barcelona looked beaten and Erik ten Hag would be left lamenting lost opportunities – four clear chances in the coach’s calculation – and a penalty appeal that went unheard at 2-1.
But, let off, Barcelona were then born again, Raphinha’s cross turning into a shot and this place turning into a mad house, those final minutes belonging more to the home side. In the end, it finished level at 2-2. It had been, Ten Hag said, “a real high level performance from the two teams”, while Xavi expressed his satisfaction at having “competed against a spectacular team, one of the best in Europe right now”. The Barcelona coach also claimed his team too could have won it, not least because they had been denied a penalty “the size of a cathedral”.
Ultimately, it had also been a disappointment, Ten Hag insisted, and yet the advantage is probably theirs: they return to Old Trafford, where Barcelona must go without Gavi, who will be suspended, or Pedri, who was taken off injured here. It had been a long, intense night, Bruno Fernandes’s ball flashing across the six-yard box after only 15 seconds and Araújo’s final opportunity arriving barely as many seconds from the end. Diving in, Fred couldn’t get there that time but United would be back soon, Alonso and Koundé having to react to get in front of Tyrell Malacia and Jadon Sancho.
This was a good opening for United but an Araújo diagonal offered an exit that led to Robert Lewandowski bringing a sharp save from David de Gea and Barcelona into the game. Araújo struck wide, Alonso curled a free-kick wide and Pedri volleyed over. Gavi had scooped the pass and was everywhere at this stage, tackling everything that moved. A slick, swift pass from Frenkie de Jong should have got a better response from Lewandowski, alone in the area, but his first touch was horribly heavy.
And then it was United’s turn again. Sancho’s deflected shot spun just past a post, Marc-André ter Stegen saved when Wout Weghorst was found by Fernandes’s superb pass, and Casemiro headed goalwards before the best chance came via a loose pass from Koundé, who suffered a difficult night. Rashford controlled and turned, opening up his body and curling it towards the far post where Ter Stegen palmed away.
On the other wing, it was a story of two attacking full-backs, Aaron Wan-Bissaka progressing often and to great effect, but also snoozing as Jordi Alba dashed past him to shoot. Wan-Bissaka made the first opportunity of the second half too, Sancho slicing wide, but it was Barcelona who got the goal when Alonso headed in from a corner.
It wasn’t just that the lead didn’t last; it was that it quickly felt like it had never happened at all. Two minutes later, Fred’s pass released Rashford to smash the ball in hard at the near post. Another followed soon after, Rashford taking Raphinha apart and surging into the area to provide the ball which eventually went in off Koundé. Barcelona were on the ropes, unable to get the ball or unable to hold back the tide too, and United knew it. Rashford certainly did: every time he ran, this place feared the worst.
His next moment led to a Wan-Bissaka shot, the one after that drew loud appeals for a penalty as Koundé barged into him, Ten Hag booked for his protests. But Barcelona had a big shout when the ball hit Fred’s arm and then found an equaliser. Casemiro, mightily impressive until that point, allowed them back in with a poor pass. Koundé stepped in and found Raphinha, whose inswinging ball crossed the path of Lewandowski who seemed to point the way with his boot, and went into the far corner.
Suddenly, somehow, this place was alive and so were they. Rashford at one end and Raphinha at the other could have scored inside a minute, a frantic and mostly blue-and-purple finale coming. Andreas Christensen hit a post and De Gea pushed away from Ansu Fati before Araújo made one last leap. And so to Old Trafford and more of this. Yes please.
