Sevilla coach: 'We didn't let Man Utd play comfortably'

"We have implemented the plan well," Mendilibar explained after the match at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on the evening of April 20. "Man Utd can't play comfortably and can't take advantage of the quick players at the top. We block the opponent, not allowing them to freely play attacking football as usual. I don't ask for anything complicated. in players that direct them to do simple things."

Draw 2-2 in the first leg at Old Trafford, yesterday Sevilla rose up in the 8th minute after Youssef En-Nesyri punished the mistake of midfielder Harry Maguire. Loic Bade doubled the lead for the home team at the start of the second half, before En-Nesyri completed a late double when it was goalkeeper David De Gea's turn to make a mistake on Man Utd's side.

This result helped Sevilla win the final 5-2, thereby winning tickets to the semi-finals despite being underrated. As the most successful team in the history of this tournament, but Sevilla have not been in great form this season and dived in the bottom half of the La Liga table before appointing Mendilibar as a firefighting option after sacking Jorge Sampaoli.

Starting his career as a coach in 1994, Mendilibar has coached many mid-tier clubs in La Liga. In early 2022, he led Deportivo Alaves but was sacked four months later when the club finished at the bottom of the La Liga table. The 62-year-old coach was unemployed for nearly a year before being appointed by Sevilla. But he helped Sevilla undefeated through the first five matches in charge, winning against Cadiz, Valencia and drawing with Celta Vigo in La Liga, and two Man Utd matches.

"A month and a half ago, I thought I would be unemployed for the whole season," Mendilibar said. "Things have been better lately but Sevilla haven't won anything. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to show what a coach who usually leads small clubs can do when he has good players. But above all else. , this victory belongs to the players. They have faith and do it as I asked."

According to Mendilibar, the 2-2 draw in the first leg added strength to Sevilla. Because at that time, the Spanish team did not play well but still won positive results. That makes them believe they can beat the opponent if they play well.

Sevilla is ranked 13th in La Liga, with 35 points from 29 matches and hardly has a chance to compete for the Champions League spot in this arena. Therefore, Mendilibar's teachers and students are likely to focus on the Europa League for the rest of the season.