After suffering an emb arassing defeat against arch rivals, Liverpool, Manchester United have responded really well with a 4-1 win over Real Betis in the Europa League. It was a massive step in the right direction for the Red Devils as they have more or less finished off the quaterfinals tie in a single leg.
Untied coach Erik ten Hag was very delighted with this response but he mostly lauded Bruno Fernandes and his ability to lead the team. He also pointed out how the Portugal international controlled play in the middle and allowed Untied to have the upper ball in possession over the Spanish counterparts.
“He was brilliant today. He lead the team from the first minute, in possession he controlled the rhythm of the game and scored a goal,” Ten Hag told BT Sport after the 4-1 win over Betis.
Fernandes showed great character as he was made the main villain in their embarrassing 7-0 defeat against Liverpool in the Premier League. But Ten Hag firmly placed his trust on the Portuguese midfielder and that has paid dividends in the past and it continues to pay dividends yet again versus Real Betis.
His crosses created constant problems for the Bets defenders. He also played a part in Marcus Rashford’s sixth minute opening goal. However Ayoze Perez allowed Betis to come back in the game with an equalizer.
But then again, Fernandes played a pivotal role in helping United get the lead back in the 52nd minute as he combined with Antony and the Brazilian came up with a cut inside before slamming it past Claudio Bravo in Betis goal.
He ultimately turned scorer in the 58th minute in the most unusual fashion as he rose the highest to head the ball home and hand Manchester United a 3-1 lead. Later Wout Weghorst also registered his name into the scoresheet as United finished 4-1 against Betis.
United will travel to the Benito Villamarin on next Thursday to play the second leg against the Spanish outfit. Ten Hag will be relatively confident and will look to close it there and progress to the next round especially after a sensational first leg.
Manchester United will next host Southampton on Sunday and after their heavy defeat, they will look to return to winning ways in the Premier League aswell.
