Michael Dominski and Noah Murray
March 9, 2023 at 3:51 PM MST
Manchester United have cruised to a 4-1 victory over Real Betis in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16.
After Marcus Rashford‘s opening goal was cancelled out by Ayoze Perez, second-half goals from Antony, Bruno Fernandes and Wout Weghorst sealed a convincing win for Erik ten Hag’s side.
United take a three-goal lead into the second leg in Spain next Thursday.
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March 9, 2023 at 3:51 PM MST
Ten Hag: ‘Sometimes you have to get the bad result where everyone opens their eyes’
Erik ten Hag has spoken about how his side reacted to Sunday’s brutal 7-0 defeat against Liverpool: “We don’t ignore it. We make mistakes and we got hammered. We didn’t control the standards we have and we showed complacency and you can never do that in top football.
“I did in weeks before. I was not happy against Newcastle and the performance against Leicester in the first half but sometimes you have to get the bad result where everyone opens their eyes.”
Laurie Whitwell·
Manchester United Correspondent
March 9, 2023 at 3:40 PM MST
Pellegrini: We’re not out of this yet
Manuel Pellegrini has spoken to the media following the loss: “We competed very well in the first half. It was a great goal from Antony and the corner finished the game off.
“They were superior towards the end of the game. They could have scored a couple more. The game was decided in five minutes.
“The first half was even. Once they scored that great goal from Antony, after those two goals, we weren’t the team we normally are.
“Once they had a two-goal advantage their confidence went up and up.
“I don’t think a knockout game is ever over. It won’t be easy. We will try. You have to be calm to try and overcome this situation. There is a big margin but we will give all we can in the second leg.”
Michael Dominski·
Live Reporter
March 9, 2023 at 3:38 PM MST
Man of the hour
A nice moment for Wout Weghorst as the home supporters show him love after the win:
Manchester United fans serenade Wout Weghorst after his first Old Trafford goal. 🎶 pic.twitter.com/HTUXjg7RCA— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo)March 9, 2023
March 9, 2023 at 3:33 PM MST
Ten Hag: ‘This team has character’
Erik ten Hag has also spoken to BT Sport: “I think we played a very good game in both halves. At half-time we should have been up 3-0 but we make one mistake it is 1-1.
“We scored some good goals, we gave the fans something to support and they gave it back, so we are very grateful.
“It was a great attitude. We were good on the ball, made good switches and runs in behind and created a lot of chances.
“It is always good to see how the team reacts after a setback. This is not the first time this season we can reset and bounce back. This team has character, so big compliment to the team.
“For a striker, (Weghorst) was so close so many times. He has already created chances and goals for others and he deserved his goal.
“Bruno (Fernandes) was fantastic. He led the team with his control of the game and passing and then he scored a goal.
“I think the substitutes made a good impact, and you see when we made the last two we made it 4-1.”
Michael Dominski·
Live Reporter
“We can reset and we can bounce back… this team has character!”
“Bruno, I think he was brilliant today!” 💪
An overjoyed Erik ten Hag breaks down a much-improved performance from Man Utd during their 4-1 first-leg win over Real Betis 🔎
🎙️ @DannyJamieson pic.twitter.com/1JpNR5aZ5p— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball)March 9, 2023
March 9, 2023 at 3:27 PM MST
Ayoze Perez: ‘Anything can happen’ in second leg
Real Betis’ goalscorer Ayoze Perez also spoke after the match: “This is tough to explain, particularly after the first half we produced against a top side like United.
“We needed to want the ball more, to keep it better because, with that, you have United in their own half and you can tighten the screw.
“Their goal to make it 2-1 was very good but all the others were avoidable from our point of view.
“We came here with the idea of winning firmly in our heads. In the first half, we coped with their early pressure before equalising and then creating other chances to score.
“It’s very frustrating. We knew that United’s first 15 minutes of each half would be intense, but we didn’t cope with the second one.
“United’s second goal probably took the wind out of our sails a little and we didn’t react well enough. It doesn’t leave us with a good feeling. However, at home, in front of our great fans, absolutely anything can happen.”
Michael Dominski·
Live Reporter
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March 9, 2023 at 3:23 PM MST
Rashford: ‘We have to keep moving forward’
Goalscorer Marcus Rashford has spoken to BT Sport after the win: “It is always important to win the next fixture after a loss. It is the only way to bounce back and continue the momentum we had before the game.
“We always try to start quick and a goal always helps that. I think they defended the box well in the first half but in the second half it opened up more, as to be expected with the game at 1-1.
“We started well in both halves, and yeah it is important to try and score the goals and that is the difference.”
On Wout Weghorst’s goal: “As a forward he gets joy from scoring goals and he works hard and does all the other stuff. But he wants to score goals.”
On responding to the Liverpool loss: “It is a step back in the right direction. We have to build on it now again but we can’t put too much emphasis on Sunday because it is gone and we can’t change it, so we have to keep moving forward.”
Manchester United Football Club, commonly known as Man United, is a professional football club based in Manchester, England. The club was founded in 1878 and has a rich history, having won numerous domestic and international titles.
Man United plays in the English Premier League, which is considered one of the most competitive leagues in the world. The team plays their home matches at Old Trafford, which has a capacity of over 74,000 spectators.
In recent years, Manchester United has experienced some ups and downs, but they have consistently remained one of the top teams in English football. Under the current manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the team has been rebuilding and developing a young squad with promising talent such as Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, and Mason Greenwood.
Manchester United’s style of play is generally attacking and fast-paced, with a focus on possession and creating scoring opportunities through individual skill and teamwork. The team has a large fan base both in the UK and around the world, and their matches are widely watched and highly anticipated.