‘I don’t think it’s the best Barcelona team we’ve seen… I think PSG are better’: Paul Scholes backs Manchester United to spring surprise in Champions League tie at Nou Camp
- Paul Scholes believes United are more than capable of progressing past Barca
- Manchester United go into the second leg on the back of a 1-0 home defeat
- Slaven Bilic echoed Scholes’ thoughts after the Red Devils’ win over West Ham
Paul Scholes is backing former side Manchester United to spring a major surprise when they take on Barcelona at the Nou Camp on Tuesday.
Champions League favourites Barcelona go into the quarter-final second leg with a clear advantage having scoring an all-important away goal during their 1-0 win at Old Trafford earlier this week.
Few pundits will be backing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United to progress in Europe’s elite competition but Scholes believes Barcelona are not as strong as people think.
Paul Scholes believes Manchester United can spring a surprise when they face Barcelona
Barcelona won 1-0 at Old Trafford but Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Co were not at their best
Scholes, speaking on BT Sport following Manchester United’s 2-1 win over West Ham, said: ‘I don’t think it’s the best Barcelona team we’ve seen for so many years.
‘United went to PSG and did a great job and I think they’re possibly a better team than Barcelona.’
Slaven Bilic echoed Scholes’ thoughts and claimed Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat at the hands of Barcelona was a ‘really good result’.
Bilic added: ‘United had a really good result, it sounds strange but they’re going to have chances.
‘The way Barcelona are playing they will give you space. If United have as much luck as they did against PSG they have a chance.’
Solskjaer left Scott McTominay, Victor Lindelof and Marcus Rashford out of his starting line-up to face West Ham as he had one eye on Barcelona.
The gamble paid off in the end despite needing to use Rashford from the bench but Bilic said the Norwegian should be unhappy with their 2-1 victory over West Ham.
United needed two penalties to defeat an impressive West Ham side and the Hammers had a perfectly good goal chalked off for offside.
Bilic concluded: ‘I’m not questioning the manager was gambling, he rested some players and did the job.
‘Brilliantly for them, great decision for them. All I’m saying is they had to do better. If I was the manager I would be disappointed.’
Marcus Rashford scored a last-minute penalty to ensure Manchester United eliminated PSG
