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Manchester United beat Barcelona by two goals to one last night, in a memorable European match at Old Trafford.
The victory secured United’s passage to the next round and gave Erik ten Hag his 28th win of the season.
The significance of the number is that United have now won more games than any other club in the top five European leagues this season.
.@ManUtd pic.twitter.com/XNBvPBgCgw
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) February 23, 2023
Real Madrid’s impressive victory over Liverpool on Wednesday had them level with United but last night’s success puts the Reds on top.
Napoli are just behind Madrid on 26 wins, with Barcelona and PSG tied on 25 a piece, to make up the top five.
Given United’s start to the campaign, it’s a minor miracle to see Erik ten Hag’s side in the list, let alone topping it.
Back-to-back Premier League defeats at the start of the season, combined with fan unrest around ownership and a broken dressing room, meant Ten Hag had an unenviable job on his hands.
Since then, the Dutch manager has restored order and control at the club and found a way of playing that has catapulted United to the top of the form table.
Barcelona, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham have all been swept aside by Ten Hag’s men, who are also the only side in Europe fighting on four fronts.
With progression to the next round in the Europa League secured, United will add another two games to their schedule as they continue their quest for silverware.
Silverware is exactly what’s on offer in United’s next outing – a trip to Wembley to face Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final.
Erik ten Hag will be desperate for win number 29 to give him trophy number one and provide a springboard for what could be a special 2023 for club.
