Manchester United will have to work extra hard to qualify for Champions League semi-finals after losing 1-0 to Barcelona at Old Trafford.
Luke Shaw’s own goal in the first half gave the Spanish giants the advantage, and the omens aren’t promising for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.
Man United have only won once at the Camp Nou in their history – and that wasn’t even against Barcelona. They defeated Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final at Barça’s famous stadium.
Solskjaer will need to summon the spirit of that famous night 20 years ago, but the odds are very much against the Red Devils.
There were some positives for the United boss to take, including the performance of 22-year-old Scott McTominay in midfield.
“That’s a defining moment against Barcelona,” Owen Hargreaves remarked about the Scotland international.
“That’s him now established. Really credit to him because that’s fantastic.”
ASHLEY YOUNG’S DISASTERCLASS
But while McTominay shone, Ashley Young’s performance left many Man United fans furious.
Young was deployed on the right but he was hugely disappointing, with his stats painting a grim picture.
Per Opta, and brought to our attention by Metro, the 33-year-old lost possession 30 times against Barcelona. Thirty!
He failed to complete any of the 11 crosses that he attempted, compounding a miserable evening for the United man.
Ashley Young’s stats v Barcelona
- Pass accuracy: 73%
- Attempted crosses: 11
- Successful crosses: 0
- Possession gained: 9
- Possession lost: 30
- Duels won: 60%
Young will not want to read what the fans and media are saying about him after his performance.
The Manchester Evening News rated him one out of 10, writing: “His performance level has been low for some time and it plummeted against Barça. Could not get rid of the ball quickly enough.
“Could be dropped on Saturday.”
It does seem strange that a 33-year-old Ashley Young is starting for Manchester United in a Champions League quarter-final tie against Barcelona.
How on earth has the club allowed that to happen?!