Manchester United star Fred recently opened up on facing Barcelona in the playoff of the UEFA Europa League.
The Europa League draw, which took place earlier this week, presented perhaps the most enticing clash of the tournament when United were pitted against Barcelona. As a result of finishing second in the group stage, the Red Devils will now have to qualify for the Round of 16 via a playoff against the Catalans. Meanwhile, the Spanish side finished third in Group C of the UEFA Champions League behind Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, which resulted in automatic qualification into the Europa League.
Manchester United vs Barcelona Will Present a Clash of Titans
⚔️ Our next opponents in the #UEL: Barcelona 🇪🇸#MUFC || #UELdraw
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 7, 2022
Fred Thinks United Are Ready for Barcelona
During a recent interview with Manchester United’s in-house media, Fred opened up on the prospect of facing the Catalan giants in a playoff round. The £52 million star said he was excited about facing the five-time Champions League winners. However, the Brazilian international added that the fixture won’t be easy.
Read more: Star Midfielder Reveals His Favourite Teammates
He said: “We know that Barcelona is a great team,” he told club media following Monday’s draw. “It won’t be an easy game, there are no easy games in the Europa League.
“We were drawn against Barcelona. It will be a great game, I’m sure we are ready for it. We players like playing in great fixtures like these ones, and we are prepared for this game. God willing, we’ll qualify for the next round.”
Fred : "Nous, les joueurs, nous aimons jouer de grands matchs. Nous sommes préparés pour ça. Si Dieu le veut, nous nous qualifierons pour le prochain tour." #MUFC pic.twitter.com/NiNWZcKpxX
— Manchester United (@MUnitedFR) November 8, 2022
The Brazilian Midfielder Thinks United Supporters Will Have a Huge Part to Play in the Tie
The former Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder was also of the opinion that the Manchester United fans will play a huge role in the tie.
The first leg of the contest will take place at Camp Nou on February 23, while the return leg will emanate from Old Trafford a week later.
Fred stated that Old Trafford could play an important part in deciding the flow of the game. He added: “Our stadium has always had a great atmosphere with the fans constantly behind us.
“Obviously, we haven’t done as well in the last few seasons, but they have always been together with us, supporting the team. This season is no different; every game, the big games, they were here, and we’ve had some great games and victories.”
Fred also stated that the support of the United faithful will give them the strength to get a positive result.
He said: “I’m sure they’ll be here against Barcelona supporting us, they’ll give us strength to get the win. That’s why it’s so important to play in front of our fans and get a result here.”
Barcelona will undoubtedly present a tough fixture for the Red Devils. Erik ten Hag will look to come out victorious from the heavyweight clash as the tournament is perhaps United’s best hope of winning silverware this season.
