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Ruben Amorim committed to helping Man Utd win Europa League

Ruben Amorim committed to helping Man Utd win Europa League

Ruben Amorim promised to give his all for Europa League success after Manchester United advanced to the semi-finals with a thrilling 5-4 extra-time victory over 10-man Lyon.

The Red Devils seemed to have let slip Thursday's crucial quarter-final second leg at Old Trafford, where Lyon fought back from Manuel Ugarte and Diogo Dalot's first-half goals by scoring four unanswered goals.

Goals from Corentin Tolisso and Nicolas Tagliafico in quick succession forced the match into extra time, during which Lyon continued to push on despite Tolisso's red card for two yellow card offenses as Rayan Cherki and Alexandre Lacazette stunned United.

However, Amorim's team showed resilience and managed to secure an unbelievable victory as Bruno Fernandes' penalty was followed by Kobbie Mainoo's superb equalizer in the 120th minute and Harry Maguire's match-winning header shortly after.

"The atmosphere after those last two goals was incredible and something we can cherish for the future," the United manager said following a memorable 7-6 aggregate win that set up a semi-final encounter with Athletic Bilbao.

"Reaching the semi-finals is one thing, but winning it is another. We must focus on the next stage and aim to win the tournament.

"This is why we love this sport so much – all the frustration, bad moments, and challenges we face throughout the season make moments like this all the more rewarding."

"However, once the celebrations are over, we need to refocus for our upcoming match against Wolves on Sunday and assess the players' fitness, as our main priority is the Europa League."

The Europa League represents United's sole opportunity for silverware and European qualification, given their disappointing 14th place in the league – their worst performance in the Premier League era.

When asked about the significance of this victory, Amorim commented, "I believe these moments can have a big impact on the players during this challenging season, helping to strengthen the bond between fans and the team, even if momentarily we can forget about the struggles."

"While today is a positive moment, we must quickly turn our focus to the next game and player fitness."

"It's crucial to manage the squad and take calculated risks to ensure that we prioritize the Europa League, considering the context of our season."

Lyon's head coach, Paulo Fonseca, expressed pride in his team's performance over the two legs but acknowledged that his players may have paid the price for celebrating too early after Lacazette's penalty made it 4-2.

"My emotions are mixed at the moment," he stated. "It's hard to process everything that happened."

"I believe we put in a commendable effort. Coming back from two goals down in the second half and scoring four goals with a man less was remarkable and showcased our team's quality."

"However, we may have become too complacent after scoring our fourth goal, assuming the match was won. Perhaps we lacked a bit of composure at that crucial moment."