Jose Mourinho has said that Barcelona will knock out Manchester United in the quarter-finals of this season’s UEFA Champions League. United will host the first leg of the tie at Old Trafford on the 1oth of April before the return leg the following week.
Mourinho managed United during the group stage before he was sacked last December. The Portuguese doesn’t believe Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men will be able to defeat Lionel Messi and company as he feels they are superior to the Old Trafford side. Jose is predicting a Barca-Juventus final on June 1.
“Juventus and Barcelona are the two great candidates for the final victory and will reach the bottom,” Mourinho said. “All they talk about Ronaldo and Messi, but I prefer to talk about Juve and Barcelona, I will always be a football coach and football continues to be a team sport.
“Juventus and Barcelona have experience, talent and a special player each. There are these special players, the teams end up becoming the best.”
The reigning La Liga champions were handed an injury scare ahead of the quarter-final clash as Lionel Messi got injured during Argentina’s humiliating 3-1 loss to Venezuela. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner later withdrew from the squad ahead of the upcoming friendly against north African side Morocco.
According to reports, the withdrawal was precautionary. He is likely to play for Barcelona immediately after the international break.
Club teammate Luis Suarez also withdrew from Uruguay’s squad after injuring his ankle in Barcelona’s 4-1 win over Real Betis on March 17. The former Ajax star is set to return before the first leg against United.
Meanwhile, Manchester United will have to make Kalidou Koulibaly the third-most expensive footballer in history if they are to sign him this summer after Napoli set an asking price of £150m.
The 27-year-old Senegal international has emerged as one of the best central defenders in European football since joining Napoli from Genk for just £6.5m in 2014 and has been frequently linked with a move to the Premier League.
Koulibaly also has suitors elsewhere with Real Madrid and Barcelona also said to be admirers, although the La Liga giants have been priced out of a move, leaving United in the clear to sign him in the summer, according to the Daily Express.
Although the £150m price tag is exactly double what Liverpool paid Southampton to make Virgil Van Dijk the most expensive defender in world football 14 months ago, United reportedly haven’t been put off in their pursuit of Koulibaly.