Mourinho happy to hit back

start well and end well that’s fine, it’s even good fun for the fans.

“But football is 90 minutes and especially when your opponent is strong, if you give 45 minutes advantage or even 20 or 10, then you have a mountain to climb. “The good thing is, apart from the Juventus match at home, we were strong enough to climb the mountain and to change results.

“But when you play against a super team, if you give the advantage it’s very difficult to then climb the mountain.”

United travel to Manchester City on Sunday, where defeat would see them fall 12 points behind the leaders.

But Mourinho played down the significance of tonight’s clash and said United’s Champions League fate will be decided by their final two group games – at home to Young Boys and away to Valencia.

“This is a big match but not a crucial match for us,” said Mourinho.

“Independent of the result, our next matches against Young Boys and Valencia are the matches that are going to define if we qualify or go into the Europa League.

“It doesn’t matter what happens here or in Valencia, there are two more matches to play and we can qualify.”

Paul Pogba (left) returns to the club who sold him to United for £89million in 2016.

The midfielder was stripped of the vice-captaincy by Mourinho but insisted he didn’t mind.

“It doesn’t change anything,” he said. “It didn’t really affect me. Nothing changed.”

The France star was also adamant that returning to United, where he had a brief spell as a teenager, had been the right move.

“Coming back was my choice,” he said. “Juventus were in the Champions League and United were playing in the Europa League.

“I’m very happy to be back, wear the shirt and I’m sure we will come back to our best.”

United are without striker Romelu Lukaku, who could also miss the derby.