Ole reacts to Europa League draw
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is already looking forward to an exciting and tough test in the Europa League last 32 after the Reds were drawn against Real Sociedad, and the manager feels it’s the kind of challenge his team will relish.
United will face the current La Liga leaders in the next round of the competition, with the first leg taking place away on Thursday 18 February 2021. The return leg will be at Old Trafford seven days later and Ole is predicting a fascinating tie.
“It sounds like a Champions League draw and it’s definitely one that keeps everyone on their toes,” he told club media. “They’re the team that’s top of La Liga at the moment ahead of teams like Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid. I’ve watched them a couple of times and they’re an exciting team and it’ll be a test for us.
“We’ve got some difficult games around that period. It’s not a time we can switch off and feel it’s an easy Europa League draw, this feels like a Champions League draw – they’re top of the Spanish league. We just have to stay focused.”
United discover Europa League opponents
ArticleOle's Reds will face a tough test against the team currently leading La Liga.
La Real have been in scintillating form this term, scoring 23 goals and conceding just six and they have former United attacker Adnan Januzaj among their ranks.
“They’re hard-working with high intensity and some high-quality players and they’ve got our own Adnan of course,” added Ole. “They also have some experienced players and some young, up and coming players.
“Everyone who plays against Man United wants to show what could have been and Adnan’s done well in his career. It’s always difficult to see where you’re going to go after Man United and he’s one of those boys that you hope would make it here. It wasn’t to be so now we’ll have to make sure that he’s not going to enjoy his return!
“With a draw and a team like Sociedad everyone will be focused and of course we want to win trophies,” continued the boss. “We want to go through and the Europa League is one of the tournaments we’re chasing for a trophy.”
Hear more from Ole at his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, ahead of our trip to Sheffield United. You can follow the briefing live on ManUtd.com, in our Official App and on MUTV.