Manchester United and Barcelona meet again on Thursday for the second leg of their Europa League showdown, as two of football’s biggest clubs battle it out for a place in the last 16
Jules Kounde has warned Manchester United that they’ll be facing a better Barcelona in Thursday’s Europa League showdown.
The two European giants met last week for a thrilling 2-2 draw at the Camp Nou, as a late Raphinha equaliser denied United an away victory. Barcelona dominated spells of the game but weren’t at their best, and Kounde is “completely sure” that he and his team-mates will respond with an improved performance at Old Trafford.
Jules Kounde was deemed not to have fouled Marcus Rashford, infuriating Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag ( Image: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
“I think they’re always pressure,” the French right-back told a pre-match press conference. “It’s that pressure that you like, each of us want to play in big games and the pressure is positive. I think everybody is up for giving that bit extra. I’m completely sure we will respond tomorrow.”
Kounde added: “I think we have to make another step beyond what we did last week, although I think we played well. I think we need to up our intesnity, to press high, to win the ball back and cause them damage. If we press them, they will give us things.”
The 24-year-old France international also commented on his controversial coming together with Marcus Rashford in the first leg. As the in-form United striker was baring down on goal – with the score then 2-1 to the Red Devils – he went tumbling down inside the penalty area after a challenge from Kounde, who was crucially the last man.
To many’s surprise, Italian referee Maurizio Mariani waved play on before VAR deemed it not a clear and obvious error, opting against an of-field review. Mariani and Co.’s decision left United boss Erik ten Hag fuming on the touchline, as the Dutch manager received a yellow card for his fierce protests and later declared that Kounde should “definitely” have been sent off.
Despite Ten Hag and the Red Devils’ anger, the Frenchman doesn’t believe that he’s “lucky” to have escaped a red card. “I think it was 50-50. There is contact but I think it’s very light,” Kounde claimed. “I think it’s very light and the referee decided to not give me a red card, so I don’t feel lucky.
“I feel it’s part of the decision of the referee. It’s true that I think I could have been sent off because it was 50-50 but the referee made the decision and obviously I’m very happy.”
He’ll once again be up against Rashford on Thursday and is anticipating another tricky task. “I think he’s a very versatile player, he can do a lot of things on the pitch,” Kounde, who was part of the Sevilla side who beat United in the Europa League semi-finals three years ago, explained.
“Obviously he’s very fast so it makes it very difficult! He’s also great at reading space, getting into areas to do defining actions. So it’s always challenging to play against this type of player, but very exciting obviously. That’s why we play. But it’s also a collective. He has a great team and great team-mates around him. So it’s our mission to make it difficult for his team-mates to find him.”
Manchester United player set to leave the club this summer despite Ten Hag praise
Manchester United are not expected to sign on-loan Burnley striker Wout Weghorst on a permanent deal this summer, a report has claimed.
The Dutchman arrived at Old Trafford on a six-month deal in January after Burnley and Besiktas agreed to terminate his loan in Turkey.
The 30-year-old was signed as temporary cover following Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure in November.
Whilst Weghorst has been far from prolific since his arrival, scoring just one goal in 10 appearances, Erik ten Hag has been pleased with the striker’s all round game.
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“I am very pleased with him, he is doing extremely well,” Ten Hag told ESPN NL.
“He plays his role very well. We’ve scored more as a team since he arrived. He knows his role very well and he fills it in very well.”
More recently, he has been deployed as a No 10 in behind Marcus Rashford, demonstrating his versatility, while his work-rate has also been widely praised by fans.
Man Utd to ‘pull plug’ on Weghorst deal
However, Football Insider report that United won’t try to sign Weghorst on a permanent deal at the end of the season.
The news may come as a surprise to some fans following Ten Hag’s comments after United’s 3-0 win over Leicester on Sunday.
The 52-year-old told Sky Sports and MUTV that his side are a better team when he is in it.
He stated: “He defends, he recovers balls, he presses. In the second half, we were better at pressing and he is the first to do it, he does it very well.
“I think he brings a lot to the team. From the moment he came, the attacking line is more dynamic and even better at pressing. So I think we improved our game from the moment he came in.”
Should Ten Hag decide to let him leave in the summer, Weghorst may be left disappointed after announcing his desire to stay at Old Trafford beyond the summer.
When asked last month if he thought there was a chance that he could stay longer at United, Weghorst replied: “Of course. The situation now is how it was – it was for a loan. It’s a massive club so I will try to do everything as good as I can, and if it will work out it will be a good option.”
However, Ten Hag is thought to be after a long-term replacement for Ronaldo in the summer, with Napoli’s Victor Osimhen being identified as a potential target.
The Nigerian is the second top scorer in Europe this season behind Erling Haaland, and has attracted interest from United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.
However, Napoli’s president has insisted “he is not for sale”, with the Serie A league leaders keen to keep the striker at the club.
Source: mirror.co.uk; sportbible.com
