UEL: 'Fear of what?' Xavi relishing Barcelona's opportunity to emerge victorious vs Man United at Old Trafford
By Ayush Gupta | First Published Feb 22, 2023, 5:14 PM ISTUEL 2022-23: Barcelona is travelling to take on Manchester United in the playoffs, with the Camp Nou leg ending 2-0. Meanwhile, Xavi relishes the opportunity and intends to hand the hosts their first Old Trafford defeat since September.
Spanish giants Barcelona had to toil, as it was severely challenged by English giants Manchester United during the opening leg of the 2022-23 UEFA Europa League (UEL) playoffs at Camp Nou last week, which ended in a 2-2 draw. A week later, the two would meet in the second leg, which takes place at Old Trafford on Thursday.
With the return leg being in United's territory, it can be considered a favourite to see itself through, mainly because it hasn't lost a game on its turf since early September last year. However, Barcelona would be no easy challenge, and the visiting head coach Xavi is relishing the opportunity, asserting that the situation would motivate his side to give its best.
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Talking to Times after Barcelona arrived in Manchester on Wednesday, Xavi said, "I have fond memories of the games I played in England, simply because it is so special to play there. It is the cradle of football. The stadiums, the fans who do not stop cheering, everything has an exceptional flavour that is not seen anywhere else in the world."
"So imagine, it is such a pleasure for me to return to Old Trafford, one of the best stadiums and [one of the] biggest teams in the world. We are a brave team that likes to attack and always win. [It] will not be an exception. It's like a big Champions League game. For the fans, it's a massively interesting match. For the players, [it is] one of those matches everyone wants to play at least once," added Xavi.
When asked if he fears the vocal United crowd on its current run would exert pressure on his boys, Xavi clarified, "Fear? Fear of what? On the contrary, Old Trafford motivates [you]. It is one of those stadiums where you want to play at least once in your life, where you have to get the best out of yourself."
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