Varane looks ahead to Villarreal clash
Raphael Varane says there are "all the ingredients" for a magical night at Old Trafford as Manchester United prepare to take on Villarreal in our second game of the Champions League group stage.
Speaking to MUTV on Tuesday afternoon, Varane also outlined why his experience can help the side in fixtures like these, insisting the key to Champions League glory is belief.
Read on below for a full Q&A with the four-time Champions League winner...
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"Of course, we are very motivated. For me, the Champions League is always a special competition. In addition to that, we play at home. We really need a victory. So all the ingredients to have a beautiful show and a big game of Champions League are gathered, that is something that we all want as football players. So, there is a big, big motivation. We will need the support of our fans and everybody to win."
You have a great history in the Champions League, the experience of winning trophies. How important is that to help our team?
"I think that this experience is important to acquire tranquility in the toughest moments, but also to believe. To believe that this is possible. I know how hard to win this type of competitions but we have the potential in this team. What we need to do is to believe that we can do it at every step of the way. And we have to do so mostly during the toughest moments, which will happen at every game because it is a high-level competition. The opponent will cause us issues and it will be our job to manage to block that opponent and to give the best of us to win."
You have lots of experience of playing against Villarreal. How can your knowledge help us?
"Oh, yes, I know a little bit better the Spanish teams. Still, the staff worked a lot to study this opponent, to know how to enter this game. We are trying to pay attention to the details and, here it is, we are trying to prepare really well this game. It’s true that, having played in Spain, I know quite well the rhythm in which the Spanish teams like to play, it is a little bit different that in England. So, maybe, it will be a plus for us on the pitch, this game tempo."
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Did you see Real Madrid-Villarreal at the weekend?
"Yes."
It was a tight and close game. Did you also watch the last Europa League final when Manchester United and Villarreal played?
"No. I did not watch the whole game. I just watched the highlights."
Have any of the lads on the training ground or in the dressing room mentioned that game and how much they want to win because we lost in May?
"No, not really. There is no revenge spirit, they told me, of course, that they knew the opponent because they played against them, last season. But, really, we are focused on our objective, on our way to play, on our ambition. We want to show our public that we can and that we want to win this competition."
"I think that we will need the whole team. The season is long, there are a lot of games scheduled and we play at high intensity. Every player will be important. It does not matter if you are a starter or a substitute. Now, it is sure that, on the pitch, the experienced players will be important to guide the others, also to bring calmness at certain moments during the game. What we will need is to have a great communication, whatever the players concerned, to acquire rapidly automatic reflexes and to set some landmarks, in order to be defensively close, one to another, and mostly to defend together."