Daily Mirror

GUIDETTI: PRESSURE IS ON REDS ...NOT US

- BY DAVID McDONNELL

CELTA VIGO striker John Guidetti has piled the pressure on Manchester United, ahead of tomorrow’s decisive Europa League semi-final second leg. United lead 1-0 from the first leg and are expected to progress to the final, with former Manchester City striker Guidetti claiming all the pressure is on Jose Mourinho’s side. The Europa League is United’s last realistic chance of qualifying for the Champions League next season, after Mourinho (right) admitted he had given up on securing a top-four finish. Guidetti, 25, was riled by what Vigo claimed was United time-wasting in the first leg – in particular, when goalscorer Marcus Rashford left the field after being subbed.

But the Sweden star reckons the Reds will be under pressure to put on a convincing display in front of a packed Old Trafford.

“In the second leg, they need to play football because their fans will demand it,” said Guidetti.

“They were not superior in the first leg, we were close and it’s not impossible for us to progress. It was the same with Shakhtar Donetsk.

“It doesn’t matter – 2-0 at Old Trafford will do it. It is difficult, but the dream is not over.

“After the goal, United wasted a lot of time. They didn’t play football. They’re very intelligen­t like that. “It was difficult for both teams, it was a very hard match and both teams defended well.”

Celta have scored in all six of their Europa League matches away from home this season and will need to extend that run at Old Trafford if they are to have any chance of going through themselves.

They lost 3-0 to Malaga in a mid-table La Liga clash on Sunday, their fifth successive defeat.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom