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      Barcelona’s transfer of Marcos Alonso from Chelsea ‘reported to Fifa for fraud amid claims of irregularities with deal’

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      BARCELONA face more transfer problems after their deal for Marcos Alonso from Chelsea was reported to Fifa for fraud.Alonso left England for Spain in September on a free transfer after six season in West London.
      Marcos Alonso’s Barcelona transfer is being investigatedCredit: Rex
      But fourth division side Union Adarve – who he represented as a youth player – claim that they should have received £91,000 (€103,000) as part of the deal.
      According to AS, Union Adarve have evidence of the two sides negotiating for Alonso in the past.
      Alonso has established himself in the Barcelona setup this season, making 22 appearances and three goals.
      They are top of LaLiga under the guidance of club legend Xavi, leading champions Real Madrid by eight points.
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      But they have financial problems off the field and took LaLiga to court in order to register Gavi’s new contract.
      The Spanish giants were initially unable to register the playmaker’s fresh deal because of LaLiga’s salary limits.
      Barcelona aimed to relieve their financial woes with a series of one-off cash injections last summer, leveraging chunks of future revenue.
      But their wage bill is still believed to still stand at around 20 per cent over and above LaLiga’s max squad spend limit.
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      Barcelona budgeted for a minimum quarter-final finish in the Champions League this season but they failed to get out the group.
      It means they face a shortfall of £18m, while winning the Europa League would only generate £13m.
      Barcelona are also still unable to register Ronald Araujo as a first-team player despite the centre-back signing a new contract last season.
      Marcos Alonso scored against Man UtdCredit: Reuters More

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      How Ten Hag shuffled pack to ruin Barcelona’s anti-Rashford plan with new positions for three Man Utd players

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      ERIK TEN HAG ruined Barcelona’s anti-Marcus Rashford plan by shuffling his pack with new positions for THREE Manchester United stars.And it worked wonders with the fan favourite going on to net his 22nd goal of the season as United drew 2-2 at the Nou Camp.
      Erik ten Hag foiled Barcelona’s anti-Marcus Rashford plan with a tactical tweakCredit: Getty
      The Dutchman found new roles for three stars (circled) at the Nou Camp – with Marcus Rashford central, Wout Weghorst behind him and Bruno Fernandes shifted out to the right
      Dutch tactician Ten Hag found his options limited for tonight’s Europa League battle at the Nou Camp.
      Lisandro Martinez and Marcel Sabitzer were suspended for the crunch clash.
      While Donny van de Beek, Christian Eriksen, Anthony Martial, Scott McTominay and Antony were all missing through injury.
      However, Ten Hag still pushed through an amazing tactical tweak to dull Barcelona’s senses and get the best from his own forward line.
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      Amazingly, 6ft 6in striker Wout Weghorst was deployed a surprise No10, with fans declaring him the “new Marouane Fellaini.”
      The Dutchman is usually known for his work as a targetman in the penalty area.
      But Ten Hag decided to use Weghorst’s brute strength and aerial prowess so he could win the ball against Barcelona’s midfield pass masters.
      The switch was first deployed in last weekend’s 2-0 win at Leeds.
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      Marcus Rashford was deployed as a central No9Credit: Getty
      And it again saw Bruno Fernandes moved to the wing, where he could drift inside to firm up possession while also playing intricate passes to slice through Barca’s backline.
      Finally, star man Rashford was moved into the central No9 role despite his starring performances from wide areas this term.
      It meant the speedy maestro was able to pick up positions off the shoulder of Jules Kounde.
      And it also nullified Barca’s pre-match plan to stick centre-back Ronald Araujo on him.
      The Uruguayan was deployed as a right-back to specifically deal with Rashford’s runs down the wing.
      But Xavi decided not to move away from his own tactical plan and instead stuck Araujo on Jadon Sancho.
      Striker Wout Weghorst was moved into a deeper No10 roleCredit: Getty
      Playmaker Bruno Fernandes was shunted to the wingCredit: Getty
      United’s plan appeared to work well in the first half as both sides went in at 0-0.
      However, the Red Devils were caught out five minutes into the second when ex-Chelsea star Marcos Alonso headed past David De Gea.
      The defender appeared tearful after his dad passed away last week.
      But just minutes later Ten Hag’s plan bared fruit as Rashford burst into Barcelona’s box before firing across Marc-Andre ter Stegen to equalise.
      United then had the ball in the back of the net five minutes later after Rashford’s driving cross was turned into his own net by Kounde.
      And even a VAR check couldn’t deny United their incredible turnaround at the Nou Camp.
      But Barca had other plans as they netted an equaliser for 2-2 in the 76th minute.
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      Raphinha’s cross went flying in untouched before sailing into United’s net.
      And it has set up a mouth-watering return leg at Old Trafford next week, with both sides showing their determination to qualify. More

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      Man Utd fans brand Weghorst the ‘new Fellaini’… but 6ft 6in Man Utd star is outjumped by tiny Barcelona star

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      MANCHESTER UNITED fans have branded Wout Weghorst the new Marouane Fellaini.The call came after the Dutch striker was picked in a deeper role than normal in the Europa League clash against Barcelona.
      Wout Weghorst was picked to play in a deeper role against BarcelonaCredit: Getty
      Fans have compared the role to that of former star Marouane FellainiCredit: Reuters
      Manager Erik ten Hag opted to play Marcus Rashford as the starting striker, with Weghorst deployed behind him alongside midfielders Bruno Fernandes, Fred and Jadon Sancho.
      The position is a new one for the towering striker, who has forged his career as a more traditional target man during spells with AZ Alkmaar, Wolfsburg, Burnley and Besiktas.
      This has led to fans to dub him the new Fellaini.
      The Belgian midfielder became an important player for United during his seven-year spell at the club.
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      Fellaini often popped up with important goals as he got himself into the box from a high midfield position and used his physicality to win the ball and fire home.
      However, Weghorst might be missing some of the ariel ability of Fellaini as he was beaten to a header by Barcelona midfielder Gavi, despite being ten inches taller than the 5 ft 8 star.
      One fan that made the comparison Tweeted: “Weghorst playing the Fellaini role, got a lot of time for that.”
      A second wrote: “Wout Weghorst playing the Marouane Fellaini role as he did at the weekend. David Moyes was ahead of his time.”
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      A third commented: “Weghorst mode Fellaini.”
      A fourth said: “Weghorst at no. 10 reminds me of Fellaini!”
      A fifth added: “Fellaini walked so that Weghorst could run.”
      Weghorst joined United on loan from Burnley in January but has only scored one goal in seven appearances in all competitions prior to the clash against Barcelona. More

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      Barcelona vs Man Utd LIVE: European giants collide in huge Europa League encounter at Nou Camp – latest updates

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      TWO European giants in Manchester United and Barcelona go to battle for a last-16 spot – but it is NOT in the Champions League.The Red Devils go into their Europa League contest against Barca in fine form, going six games without a defeat.
      However, Xavi’s side cannot be underestimated as they are currently eight points clear at the top of La Liga.

      Kick-off time: 5:45pm GMT
      Live stream: BT.com
      TV channel: BT Sport 1
      Barcelona XI: To follow
      Man Utd XI: To follow

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      Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…
      What is the team news?
      Erik Ten Hag is set to continue without long-term absentees Christian Eriksen and Donny van de Beek.
      Attacking duo Antony and Anthony Martial have also both been ruled out of this match.
      Lisandro Martinez is suspended for accumulating three yellow cards in the group stages.
      And January signing Marcel Sabitzer is also unable to play for the same reasons – but he picked them up while playing for Bayern Munich instead.
      However, Casemiro returns to the fold having sat out a few games following a straight red against Crystal Palace.
      Meanwhile, Barca boss Xavi does not have as many injuries to deal with, however key players Ousmane Dembele and Sergio Busquets are set to miss out due to their respective injuries.
      Latest odds
      90 min only

      Barcelona 8/11
      Draw 13/5
      Man Utd 15/4

      To qualify (Incl ET and Pen)

      Barcelona 4/7
      Man Utd 11/8

      *Odds courtesy of Betfair are correct at time of publication
      Lewan-goal-ski
      However, Robert Lewandowski is also in fine form having scored 23 goals with six assists this season.
      Making the switch from Barcelona to Bayern clearly hasn’t affected the Poland international one bit.
      Credit: Getty
      Rashford’s rampage
      One man who Manchester United will be turning to tonight is Marcus Rashford as the England international has hit phenomenal form.
      Rashford, 26, has scored 21 goals and made eight assists in all competitions this season.
      Credit: Getty
      Welcome to Barcelona vs Manchester United
      No your eyes are not deceiving you. Two European giants are all set to face off for a last-16 spot – but it is not in Europe’s top-tier competition.
      Our live blog coverage focuses on Manchester United who make the trip to Camp Nou where they’ll be taking on Barcelona in the Europa League playoffs.
      A controversial home loss to Real Sociedad ultimately saw United finish runners-up in Group E.
      And Barcelona were pipped to Champions League knockout qualification by Inter Milan despite their summer overhaul.
      However, both sides are now in ascendancy.
      United are on a six-game unbeaten run in all competitions, while Barcelona are top of La Liga by eight points. This game was always going to be juicy no matter the occasion 
      Don’t go anywhere because coming up we’ll have any breaking news, injury updates and starting line-ups all before kick-off at 5:45pm GMT.
      Load more entries… More

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      Luke Shaw reveals Man Utd squad in-joke about Casemiro as Brazilian returns for crunch Barcelona clash

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      LUKE SHAW has revealed how important Casemiro’s return to the squad is for Manchester United as they travel to Barcelona in a heavyweight clash. Casemiro picked up a three-game suspension during United’s match against Crystal Palace due to violent conduct.
      Casemiro training ahead of Manchester United’s fixture against Barcelona.Credit: Getty
      He has missed out on two of three games now.
      However, he is allowed to return for the match against Barcelona because the suspension does not carry over to European football.
      The Brazilian is needed now more than ever as United face an injury crisis in midfield with Christian Eriksen, Donny Van de Beek, and Scott McTominay injured at the moment.
      Furthermore, the Red Devils’ new signing Marcel Sabitzer won’t be allowed to play due to a suspension he picked up with Bayern Munich earlier in the season.
      Shaw said “I think it’s obvious to see how important he is to the team.
      “For us defenders, it gives us a feeling of security. He loves to win the ball back and tackle.
      “We joke he likes to give the ball away so he can win it back.
      “I’m very happy to have him back because he’s been a big miss for us.”
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      Casemiro has played against Barcelona ten times and lost only once so his experience of playing against the Spanish giants will be a massive help. More

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      When is the Europa League draw? Round of 16 date, UK start time, live stream FREE and TV channel

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      THE EUROPA LEAGUE is BACK on our screens, which means the round of 16 draw is nearly here!Group stage winners – such as Arsenal – go into the draw seeded with the knockout play-off winners – such as Man Utd or Barcelona – unseeded.
      The Europa League draw will soon be taking placeCredit: AFP
      The knockout play-off teams are those who have dropped down from the Champions League alongside teams who finished runners up in their Europa League groups.
      So they play another round of fixtures before the group winners join in the last 16.
      Being a seeded group stage winner means you play your second leg at home.
      Clubs from the same association cannot be drawn against each other – so no Arsenal vs Man Utd…yet.
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      When is the Europa League draw?
      The Europa League round of 16 draw takes place on Friday, February 24.
      The draw starts at 11am UK time.
      It will take place from Uefa’s HQ in Nyon, Switzerland.
      How can I watch the Europa League draw?
      The draw will be live streamed on Uefa’s official Europa League website.
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      It is also set to be streamed on BT Sport’s YouTube channel like previous draws and televised on BT Sport.
      Arsenal will be seeded in the drawCredit: PA
      What teams will be in the Europa League draw?
      Group stage winners will be seeded with the knockout play-off winners unseeded for the draw.
      Group stage winners (are seeded)Arsenal (ENG)Betis (ESP)Fenerbahçe (TUR)Ferencváros (HUN)Feyenoord (NED)Freiburg (GER)Real Sociedad (ESP)Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL)
      Knockout round play-off winners (are unseeded)Ajax (NED) / Union Berlin (GER)Barcelona (ESP) / Man United (ENG)Juventus (ITA) / Nantes (FRA)Leverkusen (GER) / Monaco (FRA)Salzburg (AUT) / Roma (ITA)Sevilla (ESP) / PSV Eindhoven (NED)Shakhtar (UKR) / Rennes (FRA)Sporting CP (POR) / Midtjylland (DEN) More

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      Man Utd Champions League winner looks unrecognisable after taking huge role in Xavi’s Barcelona rebuild

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      A MANCHESTER UNITED Champions League winner looks completely unrecognisable after taking a huge role in Barcelona’s rebuild. The former attacking midfielder works as a sporting advisor for the Catalan giants.
      This ex-Man Utd star looks unrecognisable in his new role at BarcelonaCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Gone is his long and wavy light-coloured hair as he now dons a bald look.
      The 49-year-old featured for Man Utd across four seasons at the club.
      In total, he made 58 appearances for the club, scoring eight goals.
      During his time at Old Trafford he won the 1996/97 Premier League and 1998/99 Champions League.
      READ MORE ON MAN UTD
      He also had a spell at Barcelona, playing 54 times for the club.
      The Dutchman also had spells at Celta Vigo, Deportivo Alaves and Espanyol.
      After hanging up his boots he managed the Ecuadorian national team and Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv.
      Despite his vast football career, some will best know him for being the son of a legend of the game.
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      That’s because his old man was Johan Cruyff, widely regarded as one of the greatest players and managers ever.
      Jordi Cruyff is now working at his and his dad’s old club Barca, helping current boss Xavi imprint his style.
      Man Utd are set to play the LaLiga outfit in the Europa League play-off round.
      Cruyff was in attendance at the draw and admitted he struggled to control his excitement for the game when he found out.
      On his father’s legacy and pressure to live up to him, he told The Telegraph: “You compare mortal with an immortal, a legend with a normal player.
      “I know if people love to compare then it’s stressful because you can never win.
      I think I had that stress in Spain when I was younger and when I went to Man Utd that’s where I felt liberated from all this – in my opinion – stupidity.
      “I still have it almost on a daily basis, the older generation they still have tears when they see me, they want to talk.
      “They just have a necessity to say something about my father and people still have tears in their eyes. I hear it. I’m proud.”
      Jordi Cruyff won the Premier League at Man UtdCredit: PA:Empics Sport More

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      Why is Marcel Sabitzer not playing against Barcelona?

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      MANCHESTER UNITED face Barcelona in a challenging Europa League contest – and Marcel Sabitzer is unavailable for the first leg.The Red Devils have been paired with Champions League drop-outs Barca after failing to top Group E.
      Marcel Sabitzer is unavailable for United’s clash vs BarcelonaCredit: Getty
      And Erik Ten Hag will be delighted that his side are going in to this match off the back of some good form.
      However, the United boss’ midfield crisis continues as Sabitzer is OUT of contention along with Christian Eriksen, Scott McTominay and Donny van de Beek.
      Why can’t Sabitzer play against Barcelona?
      Before the Austrian transferred to the Red Devils, he played for Bayern Munich during the Champions League group stage.
      Sabitzer picked up a suspension while playing for Bayern MunichCredit: Getty
      Sabitzer played in all of Bayern Munich’s Champions League games and helped them achieve first place in the group.
      However, during these six games, Sabitzer received THREE yellow cards against Barcelona, Inter Milan and Viktoria Plzen.
      Under UEFA rules, Sabitzer must now miss United’s game against Barcelona due to suspension for too many yellow cards, leaving Ten Hag with scarce midfield options.
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