Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has admitted that the team can provide no excuse for their lacklustre showing against Sevilla in the round of 16 of the Champions League. The Red Devils failed to show up over the course of the two-legged tie, and they eventually lost by a 2-1 aggregate scoreline.
The Red Devils played out a dull 0-0 draw on the road to Sevilla last month, and this had put them in a strong position to beat the Andalusian outfit at home, where they had lost only to Manchester City this term. However, their approach towards the game was negative from the start, and they came on to haunt them in the final 20 minutes with Wissam Ben Yedder coming off the bench to score a match-winning brace. Romelu Lukaku did manage to score in the 84th minute, but it only turned out as a consolation.
Speaking to MUTV, Matic gave a frank assessment of the showing, which was below par, he said: “There is no excuse. We had a big game, as you know, against Liverpool and we came with high confidence to play this game, but Sevilla were better than we were, so they deserved it.We have to forget this, but see where we made mistakes and see where we can do better. Now we have to look to the next game, which is very important for us, in the FA Cup.”
The Red Devils now switch their focus to the FA Cup quarter-final against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday night, and the competition now remains their only route to achieving trophy success this term. Despite the positive vibes from the early months, Mourinho’s side have been largely inconsistent during the second half of the campaign, and progress against Brighton, does not assure them of the favourites tag, considering Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are still in the competition.