Luis Suarez's Old Trafford return could rekindle ex-Liverpool star's fire for Barcelona

Here’s a look at the talking points ahead of Wednesday’s game.

HOSTILE RECEPTION COULD SUIT SUAREZ

Former Liverpool players always get made the villain of the piece when they play at Old Trafford, but even by those standards Luis Suarez should expect a hostile reception on Wednesday.

The Barcelona striker has been met with a chorus of boos and jeers ever since he was found guilty of directing racial abuse towards then-United left-back Patrice Evra in 2011 while he was a Liverpool player.

That was the lowlight of a fairly extensive rap sheet during his time in England, which included multiple accusations of diving as well as an infamous biting incident involving Chelsea’s Branislov Ivanovic. And the negative press his actions generated ultimately influenced his decision to leave the country and join Barcelona in 2014.

The new version of Suarez is one who avoids flashpoints rather than provokes them, yet perhaps the hostility of Old Trafford will help end an astonishing goal drought – the Uruguayan hasn’t scored away from home in the Champions League since September 2015.

He’s also only scored twice in seven appearances against United. But Barcelona can count on his recent form – Saturday’s stunning long-range strike to beat Jan Oblak and Atletico Madrid is proof – and this game could rekindle some of the fire that fans in England would recognise.

STAGE SET FOR MESSI

Messi has tortured United more than people connected to the club would want to remember. Across two Champions League finals, in 2009 and 2011, the Barcelona magician was unstoppable even for Sir Alex Ferguson’s formidable teams, and he’s left plenty of scars on fans and players alike.

What he hasn’t quite done is illuminate Old Trafford with a display of brilliance. Those finals were in Rome and London; Messi had a decent game in the 2008 semi-final, but was ultimately unable to prevent Barca being knocked out.

United’s famous stadium has lived up to its Theatre of Dreams moniker more often for the opposition than for its own team in recent years, but it is nonetheless the sort of stage that Messi has made a habit of gracing.

The Old Trafford faithful have witnessed some virtuoso performances in recent times – Ronaldo’s hat-trick in 2003, Kaka’s wizardry in 2007 – and though they will be praying for a United miracle, they know how to recognise genius when they see it.

Messi recently received a standing ovation from the Real Betis supporters after a stunning goal. Can he produce something that draws the same reaction on Wednesday?

BARCELONA NEED TO BE WARY OF FAMILIAR WEAKNESSES

Recent European campaigns have ended with dismal performances on their travels for Barcelona. There have been consecutive 3-0 losses to Juventus and Roma over the previous two seasons, not to mention the 4-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain that ended up becoming the prelude to one of the most famous results in the competition’s history.

United don’t quite have the defensive quality of the 2017 Juventus side or the attacking brilliance of the PSG team from the same season, but the three-goal defeat Barcelona suffered in Rome last season should serve as a blueprint for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

This team showed during its stunning 3-1 win over PSG in the previous round that it does have the capability of managing a game, weathering a storm, and hitting back on the counter when the opportunity arises. It’s a formula that works against Barcelona, even if Messi and company – or Messi on his own – are capable of blowing teams away.

Roma managed it through 90 minutes of industry and commitment to knock Barcelona off their game, along with taking their own opportunities when they arrived. United should have the confidence to believe they can replicate such a performance.

The onus is on Barcelona, and manager Ernesto Valverde in particular, to show they’ve learned from last season.

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