Manchester United Rally to Beat Barcelona 2-1 in Europa League
Second-Half Strikes from Fred and Antony Seal Victory
Manchester, England -
Manchester United pulled off a stunning comeback to beat Barcelona 2-1 at Old Trafford on Thursday in the second leg of their Europa League group stage clash. After falling behind to a first-half goal from Robert Lewandowski, the Red Devils rallied in the second half with goals from Fred and substitute Antony to complete a memorable victory.
The match started brightly for Barcelona, and they took the lead in the 18th minute when Lewandowski converted a penalty after being brought down by Bruno Fernandes. However, Manchester United gradually grew into the game and began to create chances of their own. Marcus Rashford and Antony both came close to equalizing, but they were denied by Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
The hosts continued to press after the break, and they were rewarded in the 47th minute when Fernandes found Fred on the edge of the box. The Brazilian midfielder took a touch and fired a powerful shot into the bottom corner to level the scores. Manchester United then took the lead in the 73rd minute when Antony, who had replaced Jadon Sancho, latched onto a loose ball in the area and slotted it home.
Barcelona pushed for an equalizer in the closing stages, but Manchester United held firm to secure a famous victory. The result leaves the Red Devils top of Group E with 12 points, while Barcelona are second with seven points.
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