Four things Erik ten Hag got right as Man Utd are held by Barcelona in thrilling contest
Manchester United and Barcelona shared the spoils in an absolutely thrilling contest at the Camp Nou.
Marcus Rashford was magnificent yet again, scoring one and playing a major part in the other – an own goal from Jules Kounde – though the strikes were cancelled out by two ex-Premier League stars in Marcos Alonso and Raphinha.
Despite failing to nab the victory, United put in a scintillating performance that was especially impressive considering it came against one of the most in-form teams in Europe – who by the way have only conceded seven league goals all season.
Here, Daily Star Sport runs through the things we feel Erik Ten Hag got right and wrong on the night, starting with what he got right.
READ MORE: Sir Alex Ferguson fumed at ‘stupidest question ever heard’ after Barcelona beat Man Utd
Weghorst in midfield
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Wout Weghorst has surprised a lot of people since joining United last month, but no one could have expected him to produce a midfield masterclass at the Camp Nou.
The giant Dutchman was deployed as make-shift No.10, providing much-needed physical protection while United were off the ball before streaming up to join Rashford in attack when they won it back.
Despite lacking the technical quality of midfield opponents Frenkie de Jong, Pedri and Gavi, Weghorst looked every bit a natural out there, making Ten Hag’s decision to play him in midfield look like a stroke of genius.
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Rashford’s continued resurgence
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The transformation of Marcus Rashford under Ten Hag has been nothing short of jaw-dropping.
The 25-year-old has now scored 14 goals in his last 16 games, a feat he could have barely even imagined achieving over the past couple of seasons.
He’s now turned into the superstar he always threatened to become, and he has his manager’s continued faith, as well as his clever tactical deployment to thank for that.
Faith in Wan-Bissaka
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One thing Ten Hag has been doing consistently since arriving at Old Trafford is getting the very best out of previously struggling stars.
Rashford is at the top of his game, Diogo Dalot has emerged as a first team star, Jadon Sancho looks revitalised and now Aaron Wan-Bissaka looks set to follow suit.
The Englishman was a rock at right-back, successfully nullifying the threat of both Gavi and the overlapping Jordi Alba. It would’ve been easy to pick Dalot tonight, but Ten Hag’s faith in Wan-Bissaka was well placed.
Shaw at centre-back
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Luke Shaw has spent the last few weeks switching from left-back to centre-back, so using him in the latter was hardly a shock, but it was still a brave decision by Ten Hag.
Given the physical threat of Robert Lewandowski, it would’ve easy to pick a more ‘natural’ central defender to play alongside Raphael Varane as a way of covering bases.
Even though Lisandro Martinez was suspended, Ten Hag still had Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof as alternative options, but decided to leave them both on the bench – and it was the right call judging by how quiet Lewandowski was.
And now, one what we feel he got wrong.
Staring Sancho
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Jadon Sancho has been working his way back from the brink, and his goal against Leeds last week suggests he’s moving in the right direction, but Ten Hag was naïve if he expected fireworks from him in such a big game after such a gruelling period of inadequacy.
The Englishman struggled to get into the game, floating lifelessly between Rashford and the overlapping Tyrell Malacia without offering much on or off the ball.
Would starting Alejandro Garnacho have been the smarter choice? It’s tough to say. But outperforming Sancho on the night wouldn’t have been hard.
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