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Barcelona head into this game in excellent form.

They have won their last eight games in all competitions and their superb run means they are on course to end their four-year wait to win La Liga again as they currently sit 11 points clear of rivals Real Madrid, albeit having played a game more.

Manchester United are also in fine form and have lost just once since early November and Barcelona boss Xavi is expecting a blockbuster encounter.

"It is a spectacular game for fans, the two teams are arriving at their best moment of form in the season," he said.

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Since Erik ten Hag left Ajax in the summer, the club has experienced somewhat indifferent form this campaign.

The Dutch champions currently sit third in the Eredivisie table after 21 matches, and host Union Berlin today having finished third in their Champions League group. Ajax dismissed manager Alfred Shreuder at the end of January, with former Everton defender John Heitinga taking the reins for the remainder of the season.

Since then, the Dutch side have won each of their last four games in all competitions, and can make it five this evening. But they must overcome an in-from Union Berlin side who sit second in the Bundesliga, just one point below Bayern Munich.

This one will be a tasty encounter indeed.

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Remember when Benjamin Sesko was one of the hottest names in European football? It feels like an age ago!

The 19-year-old was being linked with a big-money move to the Premier League last summer and ended up agreeing to move to RB Leipzig - with that move not due to take place until July this year.

This evening, against Jose Mourinho's Roma, the Slovenia international starts on the bench but could get the opportunity to remind everyone just why he was so sought after, and give Leipzig a flavour of what to expect when he makes the switch to Germany at the end of the season.

Manchester United

More from Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, speaking to BT Sport: "You don't have any influence on the draw but you have win and that is why we are here.

"I think we can put together a good counter-attack but we have to bring them out of their comfort zone, we have to press them high when we can. We have players who are capable of playing so we have to play.

"We have to be proactive with Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia has to push Raphinha back and then Shaw can step in. He is quick, can cover big space behind Malacia.

"It is great to be here, there is a line of Dutch players and managers here with Barcelona but I am here for Manchester United and we want to win and win in a Manchester United way."

During his time at Real Madrid, Casemiro visited the Nou Camp on 10 occasions, losing just one of those matches.

The Brazilian won at the iconic arena five times and and drew four, and returns for Manchester United this evening to face Barcelona.

United's midfield general has missed the last two fixtures through suspension, after his Premier League dismissal against Crystal Palace at the beginning of February, and starts alongside Fred in the middle for Erik ten Hag's side.

Ten Hag said to BT Sport pre-match:

"He is a really strong fact in our game. Composure on the ball but positioning and everything. Everyone is more confident when he is on the pitch."

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Barcelona have faced-off in three European finals, one semi-final and two quarter-finals over the past 40 years, producing some unforgettable moments on the way.

United had the edge in the early meetings, winning two of the first three, but Barca have dominated the head-to-head this century, winning the past four encounters on the spin.

BBC Sport's Michael Beardmore has taken a look back at the pick of those matches and you can check them out here.

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Manchester United and Barcelona are meeting for the first time since 2019, when Lionel Messi and Philippe Coutinho scored in a 3-0 Champions League quarter-final second leg encounter at the Nou Camp.

Barcelona progressed to the semi-finals with a 4-0 aggregate win. Will Manchester United gain revenge this time and send the Spanish giants crashing out?

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There will be some interest in this game from north London. Rennes have taken two Tottenham Hotspur defenders on loan this season.

Welsh international Joe Rodon joined the French side at the start of the August. He has made 20 appearances in all competitions scoring one goal in the process. That is just four fewer than he made in the two years during his time with Tottenham. It is important to note that Rennes have a buy option for Rodon so he may not return to London.

Perhaps there will be far more interest in Rennes' January signing Djed Spence. He joined Spurs at the start of the season but has had limited opportunities under Antonio Conte this season with assistant manager Cristian Stellini putting it down to a "lack of consistency."

Spence, who impressed in the Championship with Nottingham Forest, will be hoping to show that he can be more consistent with more playing time. He has made two starts so far and it seems likely he will start again today.

This evening's match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Rennes - being played in Poland due to the ongoing war in Ukraine - will be dedicated to Mykyta and Illia Kalimbe, whose house was shelled by Russian troops, resulting in the tragic loss of their mother.

Shakhtar have invited the brothers to the Europa League fixture against their French counterparts in Warsaw.

"My players and I understand we are playing for the Ukraine people, said manager Igor Jovicevic in his pre-match press conference.

"We want to make them proud, from deep in our hearts. They make us proud, fighting for our freedom."

Seven of the 16 teams participating in the Europa League play-offs this evening have experienced the highest level of European success at least one in their history.

Each of Barcelona, Manchester United, Ajax, Sevilla, Juventus, PSV, Shakhtar Donetsk have all won one of Europe's top two major trophies - a Champions League or Europa League (formerly named Uefa Cup).

Today, they go into the play-offs knowing that defeat across the two legs will put an end to their participation in European competition for this season.

Erik ten Hag said prior to Man United's clash with Barcelona that both clubs "belong in the Champions League," adding that they "have to earn it."

The first step for the Reds in earning that privilege, like the other 15 teams at this stage, begins this evening.

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BBC Radio 5 live will be across all the action with live commentary of Barcelona versus Manchester United from 17:45 GMT.

Tune in!

It is a busy night across Europe with eight matches in the Europa League and eight games in the Europa Conference League.

Below are the matches today, with the first four listed in the Europa League and the first four in the Europa Conference League beginning at 17:45 GMT, with the others starting at 20:00 GMT.

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Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez has praised Erik ten Hag for transforming Manchester United and turning Marcus Rashford into "one of the most dangerous players in Europe".

"Ten Hag is a great coach," Xavi said. "In my mind I believe that somehow [reversing] the situation of United was no easy task and he's accomplishing it."

Rashford in particular has excelled under the Dutch manager.

The striker scored his 13th goal in 15 games since the World Cup in Sunday's 2-0 win against Leeds , netting more than any other player in Europe in that time.

"In the transition he is very, very dangerous so we need to take care of all of them but especially Rashford," added Xavi.

"He's one of the most dangerous players now in Europe."

Manchester United make three changes from their 2-0 Premier League win at Leeds on Sunday.

Marcel Sabitzer is suspended after picking up three bookings in the Champions League group stages with Bayern Munich.

Diogo Dalot and Harry Maguire also drop out while Casemiro - who is currently serving a domestic suspension - Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Raphael Varane coming in.

Lisandro Martinez is also out because of a one-game ban.

Man Utd XI: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Shaw, Malacia, Casemiro, Fred, Sancho, Fernandes, Rashford, Weghorst.

Barcelona make two changes to the side that edged past Villarreal last time out.

Former Chelsea wing-back Marcos Alonso and Jordi Alba come in, with ex-Blues centre-back Andreas Christensen and Alejandro Balde dropping out.

Barcelona XI: Ter Stegen, Kounde, Araujo, Alonso, Alba, Pedri, De Jong, Kessie, Raphinha, Gavi, Lewandowski.

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It is just under an hour until kick off at the Nou Camp so let's pop inside the dressing rooms and see who is the starting line ups.

Good afternoon!

After the Champions League knockouts got under way earlier this week it is the turn of the Europa League and Europa Conference League to take centre stage.

There's plenty of action across the continent over the next few hours with arguably the pick of the bunch - Barcelona versus Manchester United - getting under way at 17:45 GMT.

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Manchester United and Barcelona - two teams with a rich history in European football whose clashes down the years have set pulses racing.

Today they meet again in the first-leg of their Europa League play-off and, while the stage is not quite so glamourous as in previous encounters, it nevertheless promises to be a mouth-watering encounter between two sides looking to recapture former glories.