ERIK TEN HAG had EIGHT analysts studying Barcelona last week as he plots Europa League glory against Barcelona.

The Red Devils secured a thrilling 2-2 draw at the Nou Camp in the first leg of their play-off match.

The two powerhouses will collide again at Old Trafford on Thursday to determine who will advance to the knockout stages.

However, United boss Ten Hag appears to be leaving no stone unturned with his planning to down Barca.

A photo shared by Twitter account Edu Polo showed that he had a team consisting of eight analysts working at the game in Spain.

And he will be hoping to use all of the intelligence they gained to construct a masterplan to conjure up a magical performance at the Theatre of Dreams.

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Fans were quick to react to the snap, with one commenting: “Erik ten Hag means business.”

Another asked “what’s he cooking” while a fellow supporter claimed that he was “ahead of the curve”.

It comes after the Dutchman was spotted having a meeting with legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson ahead of the huge clash.

SunSport exclusively revealed that the pair of them were seen deep in conversation over dinner in Cibo restaurant in Wilmslow on Tuesday night.

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After Sunday's 3-0 win over Leicester City, Ten Hag shouted towards the Stretford End that he needed their help for the Barcelona game.

Now he has gone to the club's greatest boss for the same.

Sir Alex is a huge admirer of Ten Hag and what he has done for the club since taking charge in the summer.

The United manager is currently steering the Red Devils to trophy chances on four fronts.

Ten Hag has United in the title race, the fifth round of the FA Cup, and they take on Newcastle in the final of the Carabao Cup on Sunday in search of their first trophy since 2017.

But first up comes the challenge of Barcelona, and Sir Alex, who won United the treble in 1999, was clearly happy to share his wisdom last night.

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