Ernesto Valverde Backs Barcelona to End Old Trafford Jinx vs. Manchester United

Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has praised UEFA Champions League quarter-final opponents Manchester United but said his side will look to clinch their first victory at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

The Red Devils have beaten Barca twice with two draws in four meetings at Old Trafford, and Valverde was wary of the threat they pose despite a recent run of poor form, per Sky Sports' Dan Sansom:

"They are a powerful team. They are going through a good run, even if they lost their last match (against Wolves in the Premier League). Physically they are really strong and they know how to put pressure on their opponents. They have players who are physically very powerful, and they can be dangerous strategically as well.

"This match is a classic in European football. Barcelona have never won at Old Trafford I believe and we are going to try and change that."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lost only one of his first 17 matches in charge of United but heads into Wednesday's first leg having suffered defeat in three of his past four games.

The Norwegian was in attendance at the Camp Nou on Saturday as Barca beat Atletico Madrid 2-0 to go 11 points clear at the top of La Liga, via Eleven Sports:

Barcelona most recently travelled to Old Trafford in the 2008 Champions League semi-finals, when Paul Scholes' sole strike was the difference between the two teams as United went on to win that season's crown.

The English outfit have fallen in stature since then, while Barcelona have continued to consistently challenge on the biggest stages. 

Both teams have enjoyed some sensational goals in this fixture down the years, including David Beckham's free-kick in the 1998-99 group stage and Scholes' aforementioned half-volley winner 11 years ago, via UEFA:

United are in a rut of late, with two of their recent defeats coming at Wolverhampton Wanderers (both ending 2-1), but Solskjaer will lean on the round-of-16 comeback win against Paris Saint-Germain as inspiration.

Former United striker Dwight Yorke drew against the Blaugrana in each of his career meetings with the Catalan club and called for a "near-perfect" performance if they're to beat Valverde's men:

Barcelona are unbeaten in 16 competitive matches and can place one foot in the last four with an away win in Wednesday's first leg, hoping 2019 will be the year they finally end their Old Trafford curse.