Erik ten Hag hailed Manchester United s character after a 4-1 victory over Real Betis got his side back on track.
Not hindered by the humiliating result against Liverpool on Sunday, United bounced back at Old Trafford to take command of their Europa League round of 16 tie.
Marcus Rashford, Antony, Bruno Fernandes and Wout Weghorst were on target in a dominant win that put one foot in the quarter-finals and lifted the club s spirits.
Given the pressure heading into the game, Ten Hag felt the performance showed once again the team can respond to setbacks.
I think we played a very good game. At half time, we should have been up 3-0, but it was 1-1, we made one mistake and were punished for it, but I think we played well, he told BT Sport.
We scored…
Ivan Rakitic praised Barcelona for their patient approach after their 5-0 rout of Real Betis at the Benito Villamarin on Sunday.
Quique Setien s side had proved a match for the LaLiga leaders for much of the opening 50 minutes but a ruthless second-half display saw the visitors take all three points.
Former Sevilla captain Rakitic put Barca ahead in the 59th minute before two goals each from Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez made certain of a 17th win in 20 league games in 2017-18.
Rakitic felt his side produced a clever tactical display by allowing Betis to adopt their usual bold pressing approach before making the most of their chances.
Knowing the Betis boss, who generally risks a lot, we knew that they would want to press high and steal the ball, he told …
Luis Alberto has signed a new Lazio contract, extending his stay with the Serie A side through to 2022.
After moving to the Italian capital in August 2016 to end an unhappy spell in the Premier League with Liverpool, Luis Alberto has thrived.
The 25-year-old midfielder has scored seven goals in the league this season and he won his first Spain cap last November, coming off the bench against Costa Rica.
Luis Alberto has also provided a strong creative threat for Lazio, recording seven top-flight assists this term.
6+7 Luis Alberto is the youngest player to have score at least five goals (six) and delivered at least five assists (seven) in Serie A this season. Mature.
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo)
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FIFA president Sepp Blatter says goal-line technology is no longer an alternative but a necessity .
The Euro 2012 Group D clash between England and Ukraine on Tuesday produced the latest in a succession of high-profile errors, with the tournament co-hosts not awarded a goal in the second half at the Donbass Arena, despite the ball having crossed the goal-line.
England, who were the victims of a similar incident against Germany at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, went on to win the match in Donetsk 1-0, ending Ukraine s participation.
European football governing body UEFA have stationed two additional officials behind each goal in a bid eliminate referee errors in and around the penalty area.
But the case for a technological solution appeared to receive a signifi…
FIFA have defended their World Coach of the Year award in the wake of Jose Mourinho s claim that the process was fixed.
The Real Madrid coach said in a TV interview on Tuesday that he was right not to attend the 2012 Ballon d Or Gala, highlighting an apparent adjustment of voters submissions which he suggested had compromised his hopes of winning the award given to the year s outstanding boss.
Mourinho told Record: Do I regret not attending the gala? No, it was the right decision.
They called me more than once. Two or three people said they voted for me but they appeared in another vote so I decided not to go.
But FIFA have responded by claiming Mourinho is wide of the mark in his assessment votes were altered.
A spokesperson for the world game …
Lionel Messi stepped up to salvage something from the wreckage of Barcelona s nightmare week as he fired a 76th-minute winner in a 1-0 win over Levante.
Juventus comprehensively beat Barca 3-0 in midweek to deny them top spot in their Champions League group a reverse that came on the back of a 2-1 LaLiga loss at Cadiz.
Despite ceding possession as expected for long periods, Levante looked set to hold out for a result to pile further pressure on embattled head coach Ronald Koeman.
Plenty of questions over the Dutchman s stewardship of Barcelona will remain, but Messi surging onto Frenkie De Jong s perfectly weighted throughball for an assured finish will buy him a little breathing space.
Koeman opted for experience at a time of adversity, recalling Sergio …
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revealed how he first identified Mason Greenwood s talent when the Manchester United prodigy was aged just seven.
Greenwood, now 18, became the youngest player to notch a brace for the club in a major European competition when he struck twice in the 4-0 Europa League win over AZ on Thursday.
The teenage attacker has scored six times in total this term despite starting only seven matches.
Solskjaer described Greenwood s finishing as different class after the AZ win and explained the origins of his admiration for the exciting homegrown prospect.
I actually remember when I met him the first time, the United manager told reporters.
My son was training at The Cliff [United s former training base] as an eight-year-old. Mason was s…
Schalke forward Leroy Sane is set tosign for Manchester City for £37M this summer.
Manchester City are close to completing a £37M deal to sign Schalke 04 forward Leroy Sane this summer with manager Pep Guardiola looking to balance his attack with a pacey and skillful dribbler who can score goals on the right flank.
The German international has enjoyed a fantastic season in the German Bundesliga, and could well have a big part to play for the Sky Blues in his debut season. So what will he bring to the City attack?
Similar playing style to Raheem Sterling
Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling is regarded as a pacey dribbler who operates on the left-wing and cuts inside to score goals and make assists. Sane will provide a similar threat when he complete…
Pavel Nedved believes Massimiliano Allegri deserves credit for changing Juventus mentality in European football after they were drawn to play Monaco in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.
Juve reached the last eight courtesy of a superb 5-1 aggregate victory over Borussia Dortmund, including a comprehensive 3-0 triumph at Signal Iduna Park on Wednesday.
The Turin club have faced criticism in recent times for failing to replicate their domestic domination which has seen them win three straight Serie A titles in the Champions League, having been eliminated at the group stages in 2013-14.
However, Juve director Nedved is confident the team are a forced to be reckoned with under Allegri.
We need to congratulate the boss who has equipped the team w…
Bid leaders have promised Euro 2028 will be accessible and affordable after UEFA officially awarded the tournament to the UK and Ireland.
The five-nation bid was formally approved on Tuesday, having gone into decision day unopposed following the withdrawal of Turkey.
Politicians including British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hailed the announcement, with the tournament set to bring £2.6billion in benefits to the host economies, according to analysts.
Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham said it was vital that the tournament be open to as many people from the five nations as possible.
Ten venues in nine cities were included in the final bid document submitted to UEFA in April – Wembley, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Etihad Stadium, Vi…