"In this competition, Sevilla are the biggest club" - La Liga club's manager sends warning to Manchester United ahead of UEL clash
Sevilla manager Jose Luis Mendilibar has said that his side are unfazed to face Manchester United in the UEFA Europa League quarterfinal second leg on Thursday (April 20).
Los Nervionenses host the Red Devils at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, with the two sides drawing 2-2 in the first leg last week. Erik ten Hag's men took an early 2-0 lead through a Marcel Sabitzer first-half brace. However, Tyrell Malacia and Harry Maguire's own goals pegged the hosts back, and the tie is now up for grabs.
In his pre-match press conference, Mendilibar sounded confident about facing Manchester United: (via the Evening Standard):
“In this competition, Sevilla are the biggest club. Our opponents’ name does not scare us. We are going to think about ourselves first and then think about them.”
Sevilla are the most successful club in the Europa League, with six wins. They last won the competition two years ago and have been a constant threat throughout its name change from the UEFA Cup in 2009.
However, the hosts will be up against a Manchester United side who have enjoyed a fruitful campaign under Ten Hag. They won their first trophy in six years by winning the Carabao Cup in February.
The Red Devils are out for more silverware and head into Thursday's game as the slight favourites. However, they will be wary of the threat Sevilla pose amidst injuries to key players. First-choice centre-back pair Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane will be unavailable.
Sevilla boss not worried about facing Manchester United's Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford missed the first leg between Manchester United and Sevilla due to a groin injury. However, Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst has reported that the English forward has travelled to Seville for the second leg.
Mendilibar was also asked during his press conference whether his side's mentality would change if Rashford was available. He responded (via UtdPlug):
"Rashford is one of the best players right now, but we're not going to change our mentality or our ideas whether Rashford plays or not. If Rashford plays, he's ready. If he doesn't, he's not; another top player will play."
Rashford has been in scintillating form this season, scoring 27 goals and contributing ten assists in 47 games across competitions. However, Manchester United showed that they can perform in his absence, beating Nottingham Forest 2-0 on Sunday (April 16) in the Premier League.