Manchester United's European journey faced a major setback in a fiery, controversial Europa League play-off first leg against Barcelona, which ended 2-2 after a night of high drama at the Camp Nou.
The match, which truly lived up to its blockbuster billing, was turned on its head when English striker Marcus Rashford was controversially shown a straight red card following a VAR review. The dismissal leaves United facing an uphill battle in the decisive second leg at Old Trafford.
A Night of Twists, Turns and Tactical Battles
The deadlock was broken early by Barcelona's rising star Pedri, who capitalised on a defensive error to slot home calmly. United, however, demonstrated their resilience. A moment of individual brilliance from Marcus Rashford saw him drive into the box and fire a powerful shot across goal to equalise, momentarily silencing the Catalan crowd.
Just as United seemed to be gaining control, the tie was turned on its head. Rashford, already on a yellow card, was adjudged to have committed a dangerous high boot challenge. After a lengthy VAR check, the referee upgraded the initial yellow to a straight red, reducing the English side to ten men.
Barcelona Capitalise Before United Fight Back
Seizing the numerical advantage, Barcelona's substitute Ferran Torres found the net to put the La Liga leaders back in front. It seemed the Catalans would take a comfortable lead to Manchester.
But United, showcasing the fighting spirit instilled by manager Erik ten Hag, refused to capitulate. In a late twist, a deflected cross fell to an unlikely source in defender Raphaël Varane, who poked the ball past Marc-André ter Stegen to secure a priceless equaliser and keep the tie perfectly poised.
The result sets up a monumental second leg at a sold-out Old Trafford, where United will have to overturn the tie without their talismanic forward Rashford.
