There have been some incredible contests between these two sides down the years, stretching back to the eighties. The Spanish side does have the upper hand over their English counterpart however, winning five times compared to United’s three wins, with four drawn games.

1. Man United 3-0 Barcelona

Uefa Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-final, 1983/84

Otherwise known as the day Diego Maradona came to town. If 2019’s meeting between these two sides was played on the backdrop of a relatively tame atmosphere, then their clash in 1984 arguably witnessed the loudest Old Trafford crowd ever.

Barcelona won the first leg at Camp Nou 2-0, and felt so assured of victory that they brought but a few supporters with them. That assisted in creating what former United left-back Arthur Albiston later called the most intense atmosphere he had ever experienced. “They kept up an incredible level of noise all through the game,” he

recalled to the Guardian five years ago.

As well as a two-goal lead, Barça also counted two of the best footballers in the world among their ranks — Maradona and Bernd Schuster — as well as World Cup winning manager Cesar Luis Menotti patrolling the touchline. Incidentally, Marcos Alonso, father of the

Chelsea full-back with the same name, featured in this fixture.

The Argentine number ten had very little effect in the game by all accounts, whereas Bryan Robson took it by the scruff of the neck by bringing the score level on aggregate with a brace. United won the encounter when Albiston himself crossed for Frank Stapleton to score their third of the night.

For United it was more than just a victory. Although they succumbed to Michel Platini’s Juventus in the last four, the quarter-final win signalled their long-awaited return to the top table of European football.

2. Man United 2-1 Barcelona

Uefa Cup Winners’ Cup final, 1990/91



Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge when United played their first European match after the ban was lifted, in 1990. The Reds beat Pecsi Munkas 2-0 in Manchester and 1-0 in Hungary, to set-up an all-British tie against Welsh Cup winners Wrexham.

Again the Reds kept two clean sheets, beating the Robins 3-0 at home and 2-0 away. United conceded their first goal of the competition against Montpellier, but still won 3-1 on aggregate before beating Legia Warsaw 4-2 over both legs of the semi-finals.

Hughes was the hero in the 1991 final in Rotterdam, scoring two goals in the 68th and 75th minutes against his former club Barcelona. Ronald Koeman clawed one back for Barça but to no avail as United won the Cup Winners’ Cup at their fourth attempt.

It was also their final attempt – the subsequent FA Cup triumphs, in 1994, 1996 and 1999, were topped by league titles and therefore the club qualified for and entered the Champions League instead - before UEFA abolished the competition in 1999

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