Manchester United must be focused says Pereira
Manchester United need to beat Midtjylland on Thursday
Manchester United enjoyed a 3-0 victory over Shrewsbury in the FA Cup, but they’ll need to quickly divert their attention to Midtjylland.
The Danish side surprisingly defeated United 2-1 at MCH Arena in the first leg of the Europa League round of 32. It was a classic case of David vs. Goliath, as Midtjylland paled in size in comparison to the European powerhouse that is, or at least once was, Manchester United.
As such, the Red Devils will need to win by the same score line or better at Old Trafford on Thursday if they hope to move onto the next round. Adding more pressure is the likelihood that the competition represents their last hope of qualifying for the Champions League next season. It would take a major collapse for one of the top four teams in the Premier League for United to gain qualification via domestic league finish.
Coming off the FA Cup routing of League One side Shrewsbury, Louis van Gaal will be hoping his team has found a renewed sense of confidence. Speaking to ManUtd.com, Andreas Pereira spoke of the match’s impact on the team:
"“I’m really happy that we’re through to the next round, it was a good team performance and we scored some good goals, so it was a good result for us. It’s a big result for our confidence, as well. After going to Midtjylland and losing there last week, this will help to pick the team up. We needed a big performance and that’s what we gave on Monday night.”More from Red Devil ArmadaAaron Wan Bissaka out for ‘several weeks’ with injuryManchester United break an unwanted record after Brighton lossSofyan Amrabat set to miss game against BrightonPreview: Manchester United vs Brighton – What you need to knowJadon Sancho set to train away from first team squad“Of course, it’s great for us that we’re one game from Wembley [in the FA Cup semi-finals]. Hopefully we can go far in this competition and eventually win it. Winning a trophy would not only be important for me, but also for the team, the fans and everyone at the club.”"
The Red Devils will face West Ham in the quarterfinals of the Cup, who pose a much bigger threat than any of the other sides United have beaten in the competition so far. The team will need to pick it up another notch in order to progress to the semis, where the task will only get more difficult.
Of course, winning the FA Cup would only be a minor victory if Manchester United can’t make it back to Europe’s top competition next season. The match tomorrow against Midtjylland is the first step, and Pereira is well aware of its importance:
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"“I think we have to stay calm though as it’s still a big week with games against Midtjylland and Arsenal. We have to make sure we play well again in the next game. We have to focus against Midtjylland. It’s a really important week for us, and hopefully we can make it three wins from three games by Sunday.”"
Marouane Fellaini made similar statements prior to the first leg meeting with Midtjylland. Given the subsequent defeat, it seems his words fell upon deaf ears for his teammates. The same could happen this time around with Pereira, as he’s been a fringe player under van Gaal, most recently receiving a mere 20 minutes against the Shrews.
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But with injuries to other players, the Brazilian may yet get a chance to start for Manchester United. If he does, his teammates and he had better be focused on progression to the next round of the Europa League, lest they want to watch the Champions League on TV next season.