Man United Enliven Old Trafford, Dump Barcelona Out Of Europa League
- Triumph 4-3 on aggregate
Manchester United completed a second-half turnaround in a thrilling Europa League contest to knock Barcelona out of Europe and for the first time in years, there is European belief in Old Trafford.
The Erik ten Hag men came out fighting on Thursday night to overturn an early deficit and eventually roared to life in the second half, beating Barcelona 2-1 (4-3 on aggregate) for a place in the Europa League knockouts.
Though it is hardly a marquee competition, United put in an admirable second-half performance to beat La Liga’s leaders. 
But things were not exactly easy inside the Theatre of Dreams
Barcelona went ahead from the spot inside 30 minutes, with Robert Lewandowski converting after Bruno Fernandes pulled Alex Balde to the ground.
Still, United stayed in it and enjoyed spells of possession as Barcelona struggled to assert authority in the game in the absence of Gavi and Pedri.
The Premiership side came out blazing at the start of the second half and got back on level terms within two minutes, with Fred finishing a sweet passing move. They found the winner in the 73rd minute when Antony curled a shot into the far corner to make the crowd at Old Trafford rock like it rarely has on European nights in recent years.
Barcelona made a late push, but Raphael Varane cleared Lewandoski’s effort off the line deep into stoppage time to avoid any late heartbreak.
So, one dream stayed alive as another ended. United already have their eyes on playing in one final, the Carabao Cup, and still, have a chance to reach a second in the coming months
Meanwhile, Barcelona can turn their attention to pushing for a first La Liga title in three years – and that ability to focus on a single task might not be the worst thing for the Blaugrana. – With Goal.com reports
