Kiwaru: Pochettino Angers United Fans By His Champions League Prediction

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has given a prediction of a match between Manchester United and Barcelona- a prediction that will not be welcome by United fans.

The Argentinian believes Barcelona will be the side to progress when they face Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side take on the Catalan giants in the last eight of the competition having already defied the odds to get past Paris Saint-Germain in the previous round.

In contrast, Barcelona eased past French side Lyon in their first knockout tie and currently possess an commanding ten-point lead at the top of La Liga.

Under the guidance of Solskjaer, United have revitalised their season and revived dreams of a top four finish in the Premier League. However, despite such an impressive return to form Pochettino does not believe they will have enough to beat Barcelona.

“If there is one favourite team to win Champions League it is Barcelona,” Pochettino said. “(Ernesto) Valverde is doing a great job. They have players of extraordinary level, and then they have Lionel Messi.

“I think the Manchester United team that has been built during the past few years was built to win big things. But I think Barcelona are one step higher than Manchester United.”

Pochettino is himself gearing up for the quarter-finals as his Tottenham side prepare to take on Manchester City over two legs, and speaking ahead of the tie the Argentine piled the praise on United’s fierce rivals.

He added: “It is clear that Manchester City are a team designed to win and with an obligation to win.

“We will try to compete. We know that in short tournaments the fitness of the team at the time is very important. We have the incentive that we have a new stadium and we will play with 62,000 spectators. That will create a special energy.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *