Share

Saints should march into CL

Belgrade - An impressive 1-0 win at Manchester United should give Southampton the impetus to finish in the Premier League top four and qualify for next season's Champions League, says the club's Serbia forward Dusan Tadic.

"The race for a top four finish will go down to the wire and if we keep up the good form, playing in Europe's premier club competition could easily become reality," Tadic told Belgrade daily Sportski Zurnal.

"It will be tough because Manchester United and Arsenal are very good teams and will do everything they can to leapfrog us, but it's now down to us to repel their onslaught."

Sunday's win, courtesy of a goal by second-half substitute Tadic, lifted Southampton into third place on 39 points from 21 games, two ahead of United and three in front of Arsenal.

Asked whether the reason he took his shirt off and flexed his upper body muscles while celebrating the goal was to imitate Cristiano Ronaldo and Mario Balotelli, Tadic said: "No, I wanted to show Manchester United fans how strong I am and who's the boss at Old Trafford.

"I didn't really plan it or think about the way I would celebrate if I scored. It was a spur of the moment thing.

"I also want to thank our fans for their fantastic support, they were outnumbered by United supporters by 10 to one but were more vociferous and carried us throughout the match."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1118 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1284 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 1979 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE