Share

Matic: No excuses for Man United

Cape Town - Manchester United have no one to blame but themselves for their shock Champions League last 16 exit after going down 2-1 to Sevilla at Old Trafford, midfielder Nemanja Matic has said.

Two late goals from French striker Wissam Ben Yedder helped the Spanish side prevail on Tuesday following a goalless draw between the teams in Spain last month.

United's performance against Sevilla was in stark contrast to their battling 2-1 Premier League win over arch-rivals Liverpool last weekend and Matic said Vincenzo Montella's side deserved to advance.

"There is no excuse," the Serb told United's website. "We had a big game ... against Liverpool and we came with high confidence to play this game, but Sevilla were better than us, so they deserved it."

United are 16 points behind league leaders Manchester City and the FA Cup represents their best chance of silverware this season. They face Brighton and Hove Albion in the quarterfinals on Saturday.

"We have to forget this, but see where we made mistakes and see where we can do better. Now we have to look to the next game, which is important for us, in the FA Cup," Matic added.

"We have to refocus on Brighton, because they are a good team and we have to win. We know that our supporters are sad because of this result, so we need to go back to winning ways."


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 the Proteas pick Faf du Plessis for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and the United States in June?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Faf still has a lot to give ...
66% - 624 votes
No! It's time to move on ...
34% - 328 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