At around noon GMT, Manchester United will learn who they will face next in the Europa League, having secured a spot in the last-16 following a strong performance in the league phase. ..Continue Reading
Despite their struggles in the Premier League, United finished the league phase as the only unbeaten team in the competition, securing third place with five wins out of a possible eight.
They concluded their league phase campaign with a 2-0 victory over Steaua Bucharest, thanks to second-half goals from Diogo Dalot and Kobbie Mainoo, ensuring their progression to the next stage.
After the final whistle, a confident Ruben Amorim expressed his belief that his team could go on to win the tournament.
In his post-match interview, the Portuguese head coach remarked that he didn’t notice a “significant difference” in their performance in Romania, but it was enough for him to make a bold assertion.
“I think we can go game by game and we can win it,” he said. “Then you have the responsibility, no matter the context, because you are in Manchester United so you must fight for winning trophies. So we will see.
“When you get to this stage of any competition, anything is possible and they can prove, on a good day, that they can win against anybody. So we can think about that [winning the competition.]”
Amorim added: “I didn’t see a big difference in the way we play, but today we had more time to think and now you can see, in some movements, that the idea is there, because we have more time to play and understand the game.”
Manchester United will go up against either AZ Alkmaar or Real Sociedad in the upcoming stage of the competition.
On Thursday night, Dutch side AZ Alkmaar secured their place in the last-16 with a 6-3 aggregate victory over Galatasaray, while Real Sociedad progressed by defeating Midtjylland 7-3 on aggregate.
Tottenham Hotspur will also face either AZ Alkmaar or Real Sociedad, as they are paired with third seeds United in the knockout bracket.
Regarding other possible matchups, Ajax will contend with either Eintracht Frankfurt or Lyon in the last-16, while Fenerbahce will face either Olympiacos or Rangers. Meanwhile, Roma will go up against either Lazio or Athletic Bilbao.
