Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag believes his side can take on anyone, having come from behind to beat runaway LaLiga leaders Barcelona in the Europa League. Robert Lewandowski’s first-half penalty put the Catalans 3-2 up on aggregate, but Fred's 82nd second equalizer and Antony's 73rd minute clincher secured a 4-3 aggregate victory and progress to the last 16.
The win is an ideal boost before Sunday's Carabao Cup final against Newcastle, as ten Hag believes his team are capable of beating every top side in Europe - "City, Arsenal, Liverpool - we can beat them all if we do the right things."
The Dutchman was full of praise for Antony - who had recently been criticized for his performances - with his introduction at half time helping turn the game around. Ten Hag said: “He is brave, fearless and when he has an opportunity he will strike. He brings so much to this team."
At the break Barcelona were firmly in control but only had Lewandowski's penalty to show for it. Despite not managing to match United’s intensity after the restart, Xavi was still pleased with his side's performance.
"We didn't have quite the level of composure and poise that was necessary. We got off to a really slow start in the second half, although we were dominating the match and controlling it prior. We could have been more patient, and better at game management, which would've seen us through those tight spots. We also needed to bring some more intensity to the pitch; there were a few duels we lost, ultimately letting us down in my opinion. Not having Gavi and Pedro in the second half made a difference too. Even so, we can be proud of how well we competed against a major team - it's just a shame that our first half was so strong. All that's left now is for us to focus on our league and cup campaigns."
No comments:
Post a Comment