Barcelona vs Man United prediction, odds, betting tips and best bets for Europa League match

A top-tier contest graces the Europa League knockout playoff round as Barcelona host Manchester United in the first meeting of their two-leg matchup.

It feels early in the competition for these two high-powered teams to be facing off, but such is how the tournament is structured. Barcelona enter the knockout playoffs as a drop-down side from the Champions League group stage, while Man United finished second in their group behind Real Sociedad to see them miss out on a bye in this round.

Therefore, the La Liga title favorites meet the third-place Premier League side with 32 teams still remaining in the Europa League.

Both sides will place a very high importance on this competition knowing that advancement past this stage would put them as one of the biggest favorites to lift the trophy by the end of the tournament, alongside Arsenal, Monaco, Roma, Union Berlin, and La Real.

MORE: All the Europa League knockout playoff matchups

Barcelona vs Man United odds

As dominant La Liga leaders, Barcelona are rightly tabbed as favorites here at home, but respect is still shown to Manchester United, who sit at around 3/1 underdogs.

Goals are expected in this match, with the in-form Marcus Rashford matching up against the La Liga top goalscorer Robert Lewandowski.

MORE: How to watch Barcelona vs Man United in Europa League play

Barcelona vs Man United: 3 things to know

Barcelona vs Man United match facts

• Date: Thursday, February 16
• Kickoff Time: 12:45 pm ET / 5:45 pm GMT / 4:45 am AEDT (Fri, Feb. 17)
• Location: Camp Nou (Barcelona, Spain)
• Official: Maurizio Mariani (Italy)

Barcelona vs Man United team news

Barcelona have most of the squad available for selection in front of the home fans, but there are two key players absent. Ousmane Dembele has been missing for weeks with a hamstring injury, and won’t quite be ready to return for this big game. Sergio Busquets went down with a nasty looking ankle injury over the weekend and will miss this game as well, leaving Xavi with a selection headache for the No. 6 role.

Man United boss Erik ten Hag has a significant amount of absences to work around. Lisandro Martinez is suspended for yellow card accumulation, as is midfielder Marcel Sabitzer, whose suspension carries over from his group stage play with Bayern Munich. Sabitzer’s absence compounds the issues in midfield, with Christian Eriksen, Scott McTominay, and Donny van de Beek all out injured. Casemiro is available despite his domestic suspension, and he should partner with Fred, while young academy products Kobbie Mainoo and Zidane Iqbal are traveling with the squad. Up front, Antony and Anthony Martial are both likely to miss the match due to injuries.

MORE: Updated Premier League table with title, Champions League, and relegation race breakdowns

Barcelona vs Man United key stats

• Barcelona have won four straight games against Manchester United, dating back to a 2008 Champions League meeting which the Red Devils won 1-0. All-time, Barcelona have won six, lost three, and drawn five against their English opponents.
• Last time these two teams faced off, Barcelona secured a 3-0 victory on April 16, 2019. The goalscorers from that game, Lionel Messi and Philippe Coutinho, are no longer with the Spanish club. In fact, seven of the 11 starters, two of the three substitutes, and the head coach are all no longer with Barcelona.
• Marcus Rashford 
• Despite playing in 127 career European matches, Robert Lewandowski has never faced Manchester United in his career.

𝙋𝙊𝙒!! 🥊 pic.twitter.com/XrLTTtucwq

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 15, 2023

Barcelona vs Man United prediction

• Moneyline lean: Draw (+290)
• Against the spread lean: Barcelona -0.5 (-145)
• Score prediction: Barcelona 1-1 Man United

These teams both enter this stage of play in excellent form, and that can often make for a great and invigorating match. They also profile quite differently.

Barcelona will control the midfield, and have the better defenders, as well as the in-form goalkeeper of the two clubs. Manchester United, meanwhile, have the better forward line, or at least the more in-form attacking unit. Sure Robert Lewandowski wholly outclasses Wout Weghorst, but the Polish frontman is in poor form, slumping after his first-half tear.

Marcus Rashford, meanwhile, is on a blistering goalscoring streak and the options alongside him are of good quality, with Jadon Sancho having a revival and the young duo of Alejandro Garnacho and Facundo Pellistri providing a late injection of life off the bench.

In such matches where the sides present such different character traits, they often cancel out. This could be a tight affair where every moment matters. I like the draw on the money line and result, but if you’re going via the spread, I don’t trust Manchester United enough to back them on the road, as I think the chances of Barcelona securing a home win strongly outweighs the possibility of a road victory at the Camp Nou.

MORE: Robert Lewandowski still leads all La Liga goalscorers in race for Pichichi Trophy

Barcelona vs Man United: best bet

• Pick: Under 2.5 goals
• Odds: +105 (BetMGM)

There is significant value in the under in this match, as is often the case in a matchup between two high-profile European clubs. The market inflates the over, as fans want to see goals and end up betting with their hearts.

Take advantage here. Barcelona are an incredibly defensive side, nearly unrecognizable from their leaky Champions League days earlier this season. Manchester United are solid defensively as well, conceding just four goals in their last six matches across all competitions since the 3-2 defeat to Arsenal.

Ronald Araujo, who was injured during Barcelona’s Champions League nightmare, has emerged as Barcelona’s best and grittiest defender over the last few weeks, and he will be tasked with challenging in-form United attacker Marcus Rashford in the penalty area. Add in that Robert Lewandowski is suffering through his first bout of poor form at Barcelona, potentially still rusty from his red card suspension back in January, and this looks to be a defensive battle across the 90 minutes.

Barcelona vs Man United prop bet

• Pick: Scoreless first half
• Odds: +210 (BetMGM)

It’s somewhat surprising that given the slight swing on the total towards the over, a scoreless first half (officially listed as “1st half result: tie and under 0.5 combined goals score”) has such poor odds, but it’s worth a play anyways.

Until Barcelona’s most recent victory over Villarreal last weekend, the Spanish side had gone four consecutive matches reaching halftime with no score for either side. Manchester United have also reached halftime scoreless in three of their last five matches, and it was a recipe for success for the Red Devils last time out against Leeds, as Erik ten Hag rectified their sloppy first 45 minutes against the Whites days before, happy to reach halftime level and win the game after the break.

It’s also fully acceptable to approach this somewhat safer and go with a play of more goals in the 2nd half at +100, but the value on this here is worth the additional risk.

Barcelona vs Man United flier bet

• Pick: Marcus Rashford last goalscorer
• Odds: +600 (BetMGM)
   
• Pick: Barcelona to win 1H / Man United to win 2H
• Odds: +900 (Caesars)

Marcus Rashford is on an absolute tear. With 13 goals in his last 15 matches, he’s undoubtedly Manchester United’s greatest goalscoring threat.

Nearly his entire attacking output has come in the second half. Of that aforementioned streak, only four of his 13 goals have come in the first half, while the other nine came after the break. Erik ten Hag knows this too, and leaves him on the full match almost every time; amongst the nine Premier League matches in that stretch, Rashford was subbed off in just the first two, playing the full 90 in each of the last seven.

Consequently, Robert Lewandowski has been an early-game option up front, and Barcelona have often looked to strike before halftime and then hang on late. With this expected to be a defensive battle, expect a decisive moment from Rashford to come down the stretch as opposed to the initial run of play.

Barcelona vs Man United live stream, TV channel

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