MUFC Are On The Same Level As Barcelona – Unai Emery

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has suggested that Manchester United currently operate at the same elite level as Barcelona. He recently had his say while speaking to the press, and fans have been reacting.

Despite the Red Devils’ dismal form under Carrick this season, Emery remains wary of the trip to Old Trafford as he looks to break a personal hoodoo at the Theatre of Dreams.

Stressing that MUFC are as fearsome as current Barcelona, the Spaniard added that his squad must prepare for an elite opponent, regardless of United’s current league position.

His words, “We performed like we planned [against Barcelona] but it was not enough, because the level we were facing, this is the highest level for the Premier League and Champions League matches.

On Sunday, Manchester United – it’s the same level as Barcelona. So this is the work we are trying to set with the players, of course very, very demanding.

Manchester United is a fantastic club, they are performing very good, last year they achieved to play the Champions League. In the league they started not being consistent, but they should recover their consistency. So it’s a very, very difficult match.

It’s Manchester United and we have very clear samples, we didn’t win one match there for four years. So it means for us it’s very difficult. Old Trafford is a huge challenge – for me, for the players, for our trajectory here together, because we are not winning there.

We have had some hard defeats, like two years ago when we were close on the last match, to get to the Champions League, and we lost. We lost it. So, it’s always very, very difficult there.

We must play our best – in our best individual and collective way. So, we have a lot of work to do, and we must compete at the same time.”