All eyes at Manchester United will now shift to their biggest game of the season, a quarter-final tie against Olympique Lyonnais with the first leg to be played at Lyon on Thursday night.
The Red Devils are languishing in 13th position in the Premier League and European qualification is all but ruled out via their league finish.
Their transfer budget and the players they can sign will literally depend on Champions League qualification, as Ruben Amorim suggested in the pre-match press conference and the players will need to give it their all tomorrow.
One player who will start the game at right wingback is Diogo Dalot, who has been an ever-present member of the team irrespective of who the boss has been.
Dalot’s availability And the Portuguese star has played on either either flank and while he has not yet managed to grasp what Amorim wants from him at wingback, his availability has been a huge bonus for the head coach considering the injuries United have faced this season.
The right-back has missed only one game all season, and the former Porto ace explained how much work he has put in behind-the-scenes to improve his fitness.
He also revealed how United legend Cristiano Ronaldo has influenced his life outside of football and how he has been reaping the benefits thanks to heeding his compatriot’s advice.
“I would say have started to become a little bit more obsessed about being available. The first step to being able to play is being available.
“I switched my mind a bit about being available physically. I became a little bit more obsessed and having Cristiano [Ronaldo] as a teammate helped me. But overall, I always try to help my teammates. But every person is an individual. But I try do all I can.”
As Amorim revealed, Thursday’s game against the Ligue 1 side will be very different to what the 20-time English league champions have experienced in this competition so far this term.
Lyon challenge Lyon are faster, stronger and more possession-based than Real Sociedad while their physicality will be a huge challenge for the three-time Champions League winners.
And Dalot was quick to respond, adding that the team are ready for the challenge. He added that the players have trained well and if they are sharp in the mind on the night, physically they can match their opposition.
“At this stage, we have to be ready for every scenario. We have prepared well. I think tomorrow, if we are sharp in our minds, we can make a very good game.”
Doubts about the team’s ability to handle intensity were raised during Sunday’s Manchester derby with plenty pointing to the fact that both teams appeared to be content with a point rather than going for the jugular.
Looking back at Derby day But Dalot was insistent that United players gave it their all and should have won given the chances they created. He also added that the players are slowly coming to grips with the head coach’s demands with regards to tactics and positioning.
“I mean I can tell you straight away that it was a really intense game. I was on the pitch, I ran a lot, my teammates ran a lot and we fought really hard to be competitive. I think everyone in the stadium felt that we wanted to win the game and that we were really competitive.
“We were very compact as a team, and I think that is something we have been improving a lot. We created enough, I think, to win the game. In the end, I understand as a fan, that you watch Man City-Man United finishing 0-0 is not the same as a result with more goals. Everyone wants to see goals. But I thought the game was really intense and we did everything to win.”
United need to give it their all in the away leg and Dalot will be key, both offensively as well as defensively given Rayan Cherki‘s form. Hopefully, the team can make the fans proud.
Feature image Vasili Mihai-Antonio via Getty Images
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Ayantan Chowdhury Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
