Will someone emulate Messi? This is how he destroyed Manchester United’s defence in a Barcelona jersey

Barcelona vs. Manchester United. The two giants face off in the Europa League on Thursday evening. The last time the two teams played each other was back when Lionel Messi was still in the Catalan jersey. That’s how he destroyed the English team’s defences. Can anyone emulate him?

The Europa League is extremely attractive this year. The first knockout round, in which giants such as Barcelona and Manchester United will clash, confirms this. This will be the 13th match in history.

So far, Barcelona is doing better in their matches, having won six times, while the English team has only won three duels. And the top scorer? Who else but Lionel Messi, arguably the best footballer in history.

The Argentine has hit the Red Devils’ net four times during his time with Barcelona. The first time was in the Champions League final in 2009, when he decided the match with an unexpected header.

The two teams also met in the Champions League final in 2011 and once again it was Messi who was on a rampage. He did whatever he wanted with Manchester United’s defence. He helped the 3-1 win with a goal.

A shot of Messi at his best from that game just speaks volumes about how much of a unique footballer the 2022 World Champion is.

And what happened the last time Manchester United played at the Camp Nou? Understandably, Messi was on a rampage again. It was 2019, the Champions League quarter-finals were being played and Barcelona destroyed their English rival 3-0 at their shrine.

Messi scored two goals then, and the first one in particular was phenomenal. Since then, the two great clubs have not met and much has changed in that time.

Manchester United has undergone a great deal of change in that time, but so has Barcelona, who no longer have Lionel Messi in their squad. Can any player emulate the Argentine star?

Source: UEFA, Twitter