Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata has revealed that the joy of progressing to the FA Cup semi-finals has been dimmed by the fact that they were dumped out of the UEFA Champions League by Sevilla and the diminutive Spaniard has called on the club and it’s supporters to be united in the face of adversity as they aim to finish the season on a high.
“I’m trying to be optimistic, yet I can’t hide the disappointment that we feel after being eliminated of the Champions League,” Mata penned on his personal blog.
“First of all I’d like to congratulate Sevilla for achieving a historic qualification for the last eight after many years where they have showed great competitiveness in Europe. But it doesn’t mitigate the feeling, shared with all of you, that we had the chance to be in the quarter finals and we didn’t have a good game last Tuesday.”
The first leg in Seville had ended in a 0-0 draw, with the Spanish outfit outplaying the Premier League giants but failing to make the most of their dominance and the Red Devils were favourites to progress ahead of the second leg at Old Trafford last week.
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However, despite playing at home, Jose Mourinho’s men were unadventurous and allowed the visitors to dominate them at The Theatre of Dreams.
Wissam Ben Yedder came on late in the second-half and the rest, as they say, is history as the Frenchman scored a quick-fire brace to silence the home crowd.
Romelu Lukaku would pull one back for the hosts, but it was too little too late for United as they crashed out at the last-16 stage, sparking fury among the United faithful.
“We are frustrated, same as you are. In the complicated moments like this one is when a team has to be more united. Together we win and together we lose. We aim to play the Champions League next season and hopefully make you happier than this year in the top European competition.”
United did manage to relieve some pressure off their beleaguered manager by beating Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 in their FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday night, but the manner of their victory wasn’t convincing and a vast majority of the United faithful remained miffed.
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“The win against Brighton in the FA Cup quarter finals allows us to take the last international break of the season with good feelings and a half-smile,” United’s No.8 expressed.
“Being in the semi-finals at Wembley, a place that I’ve been very lucky to visit many times, is always special and something to be proud of, because it gives you a real chance to win a very nice title with huge prestige. The oldest one in football.”
“Our rival will be Tottenham, a great team that is used to playing at that stadium… We will give everything to be in another final,” Mata, who hasn’t been called up for the Spanish national side, added.
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United’s first game after the ongoing International break is a Premier League fixture at home to Swansea City on March 31. They then make the short trip to the Etihad Stadium to take on league leaders Manchester City.
The Red Devils’ sole chance of winning silverware lies in the FA Cup and they will have to overcome an in-form Tottenham Hotspur side in their semi-final at Wembley Stadium on April 21 if they are to give their fans something to cheer for.