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Sevilla appear to be in bullish spirits going into the Europa League second leg of their quarter-final against Manchester United tomorrow.
During today’s press conference, midfielder Nemanja Gudelj reflected on the first leg, saying “In the last minutes of the game we had a lot of control, we put a lot of pressure on Manchester United. We felt we could score. We felt Manchester United’s fear.”
And while Sevilla have had their struggles in La Liga this season, they have enjoyed something of a resurgence under new boss Jose Mendilibar, who insists that “The players are fine, knowing that they can eliminate their rival. I think we start at 50% one and the other.”
Given the tie is in the balance at 2-2, Sevilla’s home advantage could prove troublesome for Man United, something Ivan Rakitic certainly believes.
During an interview with Spanish outlet AS (Quotes via The Daily Mail), Rakitic, referring to United’s players, insisted that, “These people don’t know what awaits them on Thursday.
“It is a team with a lot of experience and many millions, but United does not know what Ramón Sanchez-Pizjuán is like packed. I know from when I was at Barcelona that players from other teams sing the Sevilla anthem on the pitch. It’s unique. What our fans have created is very impressive.”
The Croatian midfielder went on to single out two of Man United’s most senior players, with David de Gea and Casemiro having both played at Ramón Sanchez-Pizjuán during their time in La Liga.
“De Gea or Casemiro, who have played here, will surely explain to them that this is something else. You get anywhere, and they say that this is Sevilla’s competition.
“They are going to have to suffer, I cannot guarantee that we will qualify but we are going to leave everything on the field.”
Given the history of the La Liga side in this competition, United certainly seem to have a mountain to climb heading to Seville.
They let slip a two-goal lead at Old Trafford, leaving it all to do in the south of Spain tomorrow.
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