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Defender Chris Smalling told Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that his defensemen in the 1999 UEFA Champions League final should remind their Manchester United players to recharge their batteries.
Two goals scored against Bayern Munich, including the winner of Solskjaer, allowed the Red Devils to achieve one of the biggest returns in the history of European football at Nou Camp 20 years ago.
And the Norwegian will return to Barcelona with United, this time as manager, while he will once again try to defeat the predictions and eliminate the irreducible Spanish champions in the quarterfinals.
United staged the Barcelona showdown with a miraculous victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the previous round – and Smalling explains how the spirit of '99 inspires the current team.
Smalling has emerged as United's central defender of choice under Solskjaer
The English international told talkSPORT: "The fact that he was there, did it and he is now our manager … he can share his ideas in certain situations because in the end, the campaign of the Champions League [1998/99] had some blips on the way.
"To have what he has lived for us is a huge boost.
The goal of Solskjaer is perhaps the most remarkable return in the history of European football
"He used it before PSG and before some big games. That's what we want to hear, we want to hear stories, and he knows very well how to tell stories he's had with Sir Alex. [Ferguson] and as a player.
"Hearing them is a source of inspiration for all of us and contributes to the return we have had."
QUALITY
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The Red Devils host Barca at Old Trafford on Wednesday night after a three-game losing streak in their last four games.
However, Smalling insists that United will prosper on this great occasion.
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He added: "We do not have the easy task … PSG, then Barcelona. But in the end, these are the games you dream of playing when you're a child; you watch them on television.
"We are all looking forward to having this chance to do something you love."
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