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Opinion

Thursday night brings serious Newcastle United Camp Nou boost ahead of Manchester United cup final

1 year ago
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Thursday night at the Camp Nou.

A little while since Newcastle United played there.

However…I really enjoyed watching the action there tonight on TV!

A very good match which was full of action, with plenty goals (4), plenty cards (5), plenty corners (13), plenty shots (36) and…plenty players running themselves into the ground.

Eddie Howe no doubt looking on from afar, a very happy man.

It ended Barcelona 2 Manchester United 2.

BBC Sport describing it…

‘Manchester United and Barcelona contested a thrilling first-leg draw at the Nou Camp to leave their Europa League play-off tie finely poised.

Having previously met in two Champions League finals – both of which Barca won – the sides are on the path to recovery in trying to reach those heady heights again.

This encounter in Europe’s secondary competition was another step on that road back to the top.’

This Europa League play-off saw Erik ten Hag play his very strongest team tonight, including key players Rashford and Casemiro playing the full 90 plus added time.

With the game so perfectly ‘poised’ it is impossible to see ten Hag able to do anything other than same again, having to play the likes of Casemiro and Rashford in his strongest available 11.

That second leg Barcelona match kicks off 8pm next Thursday at Old Trafford and only around 66 hours after that final whistle, Manchester United will kick off against Newcastle United at Wembley.

Even better, with injuries in the midfield and attacking areas, ten Hag also has very limited options this weekend to change things without seriously weakening his Manchester United side that take on Leicester at 2pm on Sunday at Old Trafford. The Foxes looking a much better team with Maddison now back fit and playing.

Bottom line is that Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United side take on Liverpool at 5.30pm this Saturday and then have eight days before the cup final, whilst after NUFC have played, Manchester United then still having two matches to play before they take on Newcastle United.

This of course doesn’t mean a walkover for Newcastle United at Wembley BUT it does represent a massive boost for Eddie Howe and his team, as Manchester United have full on commitments before taking on NUFC.

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