Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi were the heroes on that occasion – as they were four days earlier when Ernesto Valverde’s side rescued a remarkable 4-4 draw with Villarreal to ensure what is now a 16-match unbeaten streak remained intact ahead of this trip to Old Trafford.The topsy-turvy eight-goal thriller was the only match in Barcelona’s last nine that they have failed to win – a run which includes the 5-1 triumph over Lyon at Camp Nou which ensured their place in the hat for the quarter-finals, 51 Goals Lionel Messi.The 2009 and 2011 Champions League Finals saw, these two taking on each other, and on both occasions, Barca won, with a combined scoreline of 5-1.
Barcelona has an eleven-point lead at the top of the league table, and with just 21 points left to play for, the La Liga is theirs to lose now. The team is also in the final of the Copa del Rey against Valencia and needs to take on a United, who have found their groove under new gaffer.
Manchester United vs Barcelona Head-to-head (h2h)
- The 2009 and 2011 Champions League Finals saw, these two taking on each other, and on both occasions, Barca won, with a combined scoreline of 5-1.
- Four of the last seven wins belong to Barcelona.
- Ten of the last twelve meetings saw the English team failing to keep a clean sheet.
- Manchester failed to score in two of the last three meetings.
Indeed, Barca have only scored one goal in the six such matches since then too, and the memories of their 3-0 defeat to Roma at this stage last season – after a 4-1 win in the home first leg – will still haunt many of Valverde’s squad.The Spanish giants have lost their last three away quarter-final legs without scoring a single goal, but they have already won in England this season courtesy of their 4-2 triumph over Tottenham Hotspur in the group stages.