Aheed Abrar
Erik ten Hag says second game a must win as Manchester United face Sheriff Tiraspol in Europa League
Manchester United face Sheriff Tiraspol in the Europa League in the second fixture of the group stage. Erik ten Hag has put emphasis on winning the game after having lost the opening match against Real Sociedad.
United started their UEL campaign with La Real visiting Old Trafford. The end result was not one fans would have hoped for. The Spanish outfit were offered a contentious penalty, and in the end, they won 1-0.
Speaking ahead of the game in Moldova via Manchester Evening News, the gaffer claimed every game is a must-win for the Red Devils. Ten Hag also hinted at fielding the strongest team against Sheriff.
“Pressure is for every game, we have to win every game. When you lose the first game, you have to win the second, so we know what our task is. We always play a strong team, so also tomorrow we will play a strong team.”
United were on a four-game win streak before losing to La Real. The Red Devils endured a bad start in the Premier League. However, the gaffer and the team were able to turn things around.
Ten Hag made changes
After losing 4-0 to Brentford, Ten Hag made some bold decisions, dropping the likes of Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo to the bench. And since then, we have beaten the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal with an almost unchanging lineup.
However, for the UEL game against the La Liga outfit, the manager decided to shake things up and give certain players minutes to play. It meant Maguire and Ronaldo came back to the starting XI. We failed to create opportunities against La Real.
United have found success with a partnership of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez in the backline. The attack has also looked lively with Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho up front. Big-money signing Antony has also gone straight into the starting lineup.
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What team Ten Hag chooses to field against Sheriff remains to be seen. The three points are crucial. It is the last match before the international break. Hopefully, the team can get the job done in Moldova.
