Manchester United inevitably landed the toughest possible draw in the Europa League play-off round, being paired up with Barcelona.
The mouth-watering tie is one both sides would rather have avoided at this early stage, with Barcelona boss Xavi bemoaning how they had ‘no luck’.
This underlines how worried they are at falling short against United, with the two European powerhouses meeting in an unfamiliar Europa League setting.
The matches will take place in early 2023, with times and dates for the fixtures now set.
Fixture dates and kick-off times set
The fixtures dates and times for the fixtures have been set. Barcelona will hold the first leg on February 16 at 5.45pm.
The second leg will take place at Old Trafford at 8pm on February 23.
Holding the second leg at home, under the lights, could be of real benefit to Manchester United. Fans will be right behind the team.
United will just need to return from the first leg with the tie in-hand, to get a good result at Old Trafford.
The task is made harder by Lisandro Martinez being suspended for the first leg in Barcelona. He picked up a booking in the final game game against Real Sociedad.
The match between both games is a Premier League fixture at home to Leicester City, with a home match with Brentford following the second leg.
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