Marcus Rashford lit up the Nou Camp as Manchester United and Barcelona played out a rip-roaring 2-2 draw in the first leg of their Europa League knockout play-off clash.
These global giants fought for Champions League glory in the 2009 and 2011 finals, but recent travails mean they are playing away from the continent’s top table as they continue their respective rebuilds.
Thursday’s eagerly-anticipated meeting lived up to the billing as Rashford scored his 22nd goal of the season and fizzed in the cross that Jules Kounde turned into his own goal as United responded superbly to Marcos Alonso’s 50th-minute opener for Barcelona.
🔴 Rashford = 4 goals in 5 Europa League games ⚽️
22 goals in all competitions this season 📈#UEL pic.twitter.com/ra1EWSEZ2R— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) February 16, 2023
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United shone in Spain but Raphinha’s cross found its way into the net to peg them back and sparked a breathless conclusion to a wild tie, setting up a mouth-watering return fixture at Old Trafford next week.
Erik ten Hag’s players heeded his request to take the game to the runaway LaLiga leaders, who had Marc-Andre ter Stegen to thank for keeping the first leg goalless at half-time.
Bruno Fernandes brilliantly put Wout Weghorst through but the on-loan frontman could not beat the goalkeeper, who also stopped in-form Rashford bending a shot home.
For all of United’s positivity it was Barcelona that took the lead five minutes into the second half as former Chelsea defender Alonso rose to head home a corner.
But Ten Hag’s men are made of stern stuff and Rashford is in the form of his life, with the forward thumping home from an acute angle and then sending over a ball that Kounde turned into his own goal.
It was a mightily impressive display but United were not to end with a 2-1 comeback win at the Nou Camp like 1999, with Raphinha’s dangerous cross going in – perhaps via a slight Robert Lewandowski touch.
