Man Utd fail to secure 2-1 lead in the Europa League playoff match, 2nd leg is to be played at Old Trafford next week
For the home team Barcelona, who managed to hold Manchester United to a 2-2 draw in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League playoffs on Thursday, Brazilian winger Raphinha scored the equalizer.
At Spotify Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, defender Marcos Alonso for Barcelona scored a header in the 50th minute to give his team a 1-0 lead.
Man United overcame a 1-0 deficit. In the 53rd minute, English star Marcus Rashford equalized from a tight angle, and Jules Kounde of Barcelona scored an own goal six minutes later.
In the 76th minute, Raphinha sent in a cross that, fortunately, went into Manchester United’s goal, making the score 2-2.
Gavi, a midfielder for Barcelona, received a booking that resulted in a suspension for the Manchester leg. Pedri, another Barca midfielder, was substituted due to an injury.
After the game, the Spanish club confirmed that one of Barcelona’s regulars, Pedri, had suffered a hamstring injury and would need to undergo tests.
He joined injured star players Ousmane Dembele and Sergio Busquets.
On February 23, Barcelona will pay a visit to Manchester United at Old Trafford.
The victorious team will advance to the round of 16.
Quake victims honored before kickoff
Separately, a minute’s silence was observed at Spotify Camp Nou prior to the match to remember the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria.
According to the country’s disaster agency, more than 38,000 people were killed in the twin earthquakes that jolted southern Turkey last week.
More than 13 million people were affected by the magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes on February 6 in 11 provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, Sanliurfa, and Elazig.
Several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon, felt the strong tremors that hit Turkey in less than ten hours.
Thursday’s results:
Barcelona – Manchester United: 2-2
Shakhtar Donetsk – Rennes: 2-1
Ajax – Union Berlin: 0-0
Salzburg – Roma: 1-0
Juventus – Nantes: 1-1
Sporting – Midtjylland: 1-1
Bayer Leverkusen – Monaco: 2-3
Sevilla – PSV Eindhoven: 3-0
