What did Ten Hag say for Man Utd to win against Barca?
When asked what he said to the Man Utd player during halftime, Ten Hag revealed on BT Sport: "I emphasize faith, because the first half we played too perfection. We did not know how to take advantage of Casemiro, or Aaron Wan-Bissaka with space on the right. I want players to confidently put pressure on opponents, and Antony's presence in the second half also brought more speed and confidence to the team."
Man Utd took the lead in the first half with a Robert Lewandowski penalty. After the break, Ten Hag brought in Antony to replace striker Wout Weghorst, and the hosts equalized just a minute later thanks to Fred. In the 73rd minute, Antony cut a beautiful heart to set a 2-1 victory for Man Utd, the total score was 4-3, bringing the team into the 1/8 round of the Europa League.
The Dutch coach also thinks that this is Man Utd's biggest victory since the beginning of the season, because Barca are leading La Liga with an eight-point difference compared to Real Madrid. He also mentioned Real's 5-2 reverse victory over Liverpool in the 1/8 Champions League round two days ago, to emphasize the meaning of the "Red Devils" victory over Barca.
This is not the first time Brazilian players have scored to help Man Utd win the match. Both Fred and Antony received compliments from the 53-year-old coach. "Antony is brave, does not give up in every dispute," he added. "Fred has an important job in the two games against Barca, which is to stop Frenkie de Jong. He has to play like a mosquito, buzzing around this opponent. Man Utd have great personalities in the team." .
Man Utd are unbeaten in the last 13 knockout matches in the Europa League, of which nine won. They also made Barca break 18 matches unbeaten in all competitions. Ten Hag also does not care about the next opponent in the Europa League, because ahead of him is the English League Cup final with Newcastle on Sunday, February 26. "We respect every opponent," he said. "But I strongly believe that Man Utd can win the Cup."
