Erik ten Hag hopes to be able to anticipate a Europa League semi-final when he awakens on Friday morning in order to commemorate his one year in charge of Manchester United.
On Thursday night, United will depart for Spain to face Sevilla in the second leg of their quarterfinal matchup in an effort to advance to their third semi-final of the year. The Reds will have to fight twice as hard to keep their European dream alive and make Ten Hag's first anniversary one to remember after blowing a two-goal advantage in the first leg last week at Old Trafford.
The Reds were coasting in the first half, propelled by a brace from Marcel Sabitzer, and it was more of a question of how many goals they would score. However, Sevilla's comeback and the injuries to Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez meant that it ended up being a night to forget.
However, as was seen by United's 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Sunday, they don't dwell on failures for too long; instead, they get back to work as soon as possible, recover, and move on.
It's challenging enough to achieve that when your team is fully fit, let alone when your treatment room is packed to the gills with some of your key players.
Marc Jurado and Zidane Iqbal, two young players for United who are now dealing with an injury crisis, were selected for the bench over the weekend.
Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Scott McTominay, Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Sabitzer, who was compelled to leave the game on Sunday afternoon after warm-up, Varane, and Martinez were all missing from the City Ground. Every one of the aforementioned players has had a significant part to play this season.
Because of this, United, especially Ten Hag, will merit great praise if they prevail in the second leg on Thursday night and secure a matchup against either Juventus or Sporting Lisbon in the semifinals.
Throughout his first year in charge, Ten Hag has had a number of unforeseen difficulties, including Casemiro's several suspensions and Cristiano Ronaldo's disruptive departure. Despite these difficulties, Ten Hag has not shied away from them. He has accepted them, which has strengthened United.
Bruno Fernandes will not play for United against Sevilla due to a ban. Ten Hag must deal with yet another terrible blow, but he will find a way to handle it.
Ten Hag will have to contend with Harry Maguire's absence later this week because he is suspended for Sunday's FA Cup semifinal match against Brighton and his choices at center back are already restricted. But Ten Hag keeps bringing success and hope to the world despite an endless string of issues.
He has given United a new sense of identity, restored their pride, and put an end to their six-year trophy drought. If all goes according to plan, he might have them close to acquiring two additional pieces of silverware by Sunday night.
In May of last year, United football director John Murtough explained why Ten Hag had been hired, saying that Ten Hag "showed passion, energy, and enthusiasm for the challenge." Ten Hag, according to Murtough, was a "proven winner".
The Dutchman has demonstrated that he is just that in less than a year. His attention to detail and continuous selection of quality starting lineups, even in the early rounds of the Europa League, the Carabao Cup, and the FA Cup, are further evidence that he lives on victory.
As they are still in the running for two titles, the Red Devils will be hoping to acquire additional silverware. Of course, finishing in the top four of the Premier League will be their main goal, but manager Erik ten Hag also recognizes the value of winning trophies for the progress of his club.
Therefore, the Dutch manager will want his team to provide 100 percent in both the FA Cup and the Europa League.
Last Sunday, United defeated Nottingham Forest in an excellent 2-0 victory, with goals from Antony and Diogo Dalot for the guests.
The latest victory propelled the Manchester juggernauts to third in the Premier League rankings with six points over fifth-place Tottenham Hotspur as Newcastle United lost to Aston Villa 3-0.
But during the next few weeks, Man Utd will play three games that may either make or break their season. All of these thrilling matches can be watched live on soccer streaming websites. Sadly, Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez will not be participating in these, but Marcus Rashford might.
Sevilla – April 20 (Europa League)
After Sevilla upset United 2-2 in the first leg at Old Trafford thanks to two late goals, United missed a golden opportunity to take control of their Europa League quarterfinal match.
The first half double from Marcel Sabitzer gave his team a commanding lead, but Tyrell Malacia and Harry Maguire's own goals ultimately undid the Austrian's hard work. They now have no advantage when they travel to Seville, but because of their greater squad quality, they have a better chance of winning in the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
Brighton - April 23(FA CUP)
This season, Roberto De Zerbi's Seagulls are a thrilling team to watch. They successfully eliminated FA Cup champions Liverpool in the fourth round in January with a commanding 2-1 victory.
The East Sussex team also dominated Grimsby Town in a quarterfinal match at the Amex, scoring five goals in a row.
In the meantime, Brighton is currently only four points behind Tottenham in the Premier League standings after Saturday's 2-1 victory at Chelsea.
The Seagulls, who have exceeded expectations this season, will present Erik ten Hag's side with very tough opposition.
Tottenham Hotspur – April 27 (Premier League)
Only two positions are open for the remaining teams now that Arsenal and Manchester City are nearly guaranteed participation in the Champions League for the upcoming season.
Although Tottenham has played very poorly this season, they remain one of Man Utd's major rivals for a top-four finish.
Man United would go a great deal closer to winning a spot in the premier league in Europe if they were to defeat Spurs on their own field.
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