Manchester United has already lost two semi-finals in 2019/20. United finally wants to play a final in the Europa League against the record champions. The tournament in North Rhine-Westphalia reminds Solskjaer of the big title fights - and should only be one stage for his team.
Cologne (dpa) - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did not even try to hide the claims of his employer.
"Getting to the semi-finals is a good performance, decent, but not good enough for Manchester United," said the Red Devils coach before the Europa League duel with Sevilla FC for the final ticket. As a player, Solskjaer won series championships with United and, as the scorer in the legendary final in Barcelona, played a key role in the 1999 Champions League triumph against FC Bayern. As a coach, the 47-year-old should lead the English record champion back to its former glory - with the Europa League as a stopover.
For the Red Devils, the game on Sunday at 9 p.m. in Cologne (Nitro / DAZN) is already the third semi-final of the season. United was eliminated in the FA Cup against Chelsea, and in the League Cup it was the end of the line against local rivals City.
"The team has developed and is getting hungrier and hungrier," said Solskjaer, who also sees an opportunity in the negative experiences: "Let's make sure that the pain we felt when we were eliminated from the other two cups makes all the difference so that we want it more than they do. "
Three years after winning the competition for the first time, United's clear goal is the title on August 21 in Cologne. And if you just look at the names in the squad, the Solskjaer team is also a favorite. Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial: Manchester have a lot of power, especially in midfield and in attack. However, Sevilla FC has often proven in the Europa League and in the previous UEFA Cup competition with the best of five titles that it can prevail against supposedly better-filled competitors.
A great asset of the Andalusians is the strong defense. The team of the former Spanish national coach Julen Lopetegui has already conceded five competitive games in a row. In addition, the fourth player in the Primera División last season plays extremely patiently, cleverly and is a true master at winning tight and hectic games. "We know how difficult it is but we know exactly what to do at every stage of the game," said captain Jesús Navas, who knows United well from derbies when he was at Manchester City.
The mode at the final tournament in North Rhine-Westphalia with only one knockout game per round tends to suit the underdog, but should not be an excuse for Manchester. "It's like a European championship or a world championship," said Solskjaer. "You don't get a second chance and you just know that you have to give it your all on the pitch. It's okay with me." The final would be against Inter Milan or Shakhtar Donetsk, who will compete on Monday.
Man United have not lost in the Premier League since January. After the most successful Europa League interlude in North Rhine-Westphalia, this trend is to be continued in the premier class in the coming season. There, the Solskjaer team should, according to its own self-image, be among the title contenders again. In addition, the Red Devils want to shorten the gap to Liverpool and City and finally play for the championship again. In the past league season it was enough for third place. That's okay, but not good enough for Manchester United.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 200814-99-167975 / 2
Europa League news
Information about the match Sevilla FC - Manchester United
Statements by Solskjaer on the United website
Statements by Jesus Navas