Philippe Coutinho: Win over Manchester United Would Be a 'Personal Satisfaction'

Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho has said a win for his side against Manchester United would bring "double personal satisfaction" as a former Liverpool player.

The Blaugrana will face the Red Devils on Wednesday in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, with the first leg to be played at Old Trafford.

Coutinho expects he and former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez will both be on the end of a hostile reception from the United fans but said that environment will only spur them on to perform to a higher standard, per Chris Hatherall of the Daily Mirror:

"If they boo myself and Suarez, then that's normal at Old Trafford because of the team we used to play for. But it won't make any difference to me. And, even more than that, it is an incentive to play better and to be even more focused.

"I know that games against United are special. I learned what they meant during my time at Liverpool when we lived it so intensely with the fans. I have that nailed in my memory and, even though this is a different stage, if Barcelona knock United out of Europe, it will be a double personal satisfaction for me."

As a Liverpool player, Coutinho scored this brilliant goal at Old Trafford in a UEFA Europa League tie in 2016:

Coutinho also commented on a possible semi-final showdown with his former club, as the winner of the tie between United and Barcelona will face either Liverpool or Porto.

"It would be a dream to play at ­Anfield again, an explosion of different feelings, I'm sure," the Brazilian said. "But I have to be honest and say I would have preferred to meet Liverpool only in the final itself."

Coutinho will hope to be involved from the start against United, although he's endured an inconsistent first full season at Barcelona. He did score in the previous round against Lyon, having been expertly set up by Lionel Messi (U.S. only):

With Ousmane Dembele poised to miss out through injury, Barcelona will likely keep Coutinho on the left flank for the clash with United. However, an upturn in performance will be expected from the Brazilian.

Although Coutinho showcased some clever touches and sharp interplay in the 2-0 win over Atletico Madrid on Saturday, he didn't create much for his team:

Per Spanish football journalist Rik Sharma, when he did get into dangerous positions, Coutinho appeared to be lacking in confidence:

There has been some speculation regarding Coutinho's future lately. Moises Llorens of ESPN FC reported in March that Barcelona would be open to selling the Brazilian, with the Red Devils and Chelsea said to be interested in the player.

Having failed to convince for the Blaugrana, Coutinho will be viewing key contests in the Champions League as an opportunity to establish himself in the side. Old Trafford, a venue where he has enjoyed success before, would be a perfect place to start.