We simulated Manchester United vs Barcelona to predict Europa League second leg

Manchester United have the chance to advance to the Europa League Round of 16 when they face Barcelona in the second leg of the first knockout round.

Marcus Rashford added to a Jules Kounde own goal to help United draw 2-2 against Barcelona in a thrilling first-leg clash in Spain, with the tie hanging in the balance ahead of the second leg at Old Trafford. A draw would take the game to extra time on Thursday, a situation Erik ten Hag will be desperate to avoid with their Carabao Cup final against Newcastle just days after the Europa League clash.

United have been handed a boost to their squad ahead of Barcelona's visit, with Antony and Harry Maguire expected to return to the squad. On the other hand, Pedri and Gavi join Ousmane Dembele on the unavailable list for Barcelona, with Pedri picking up an injury in the first leg whilst Gavi picked up a suspension following his third yellow card of the European campaign.

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So, could Ten Hag’s side book their spot in the next round of the Europa League? Let's take a look.

To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.

We predict that United could line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Fred; Fernandes, Weghorst, Sancho; Rashford.

We predict that the visitors could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Ter Stegen; Kounde, Araujo, Christensen, Alba; Kessie, De Jong, Roberto; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Fati.

It was a nervy start from both sides at Old Trafford, with the two teams evenly matched in the opening 20