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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Daniel Murphy

Erik ten Hag pinpoints reasons for Man United's Sevilla disaster

Erik ten Hag has blamed big mistakes for Manchester United's humbling defeat to Sevilla.

United had high hopes of winning three trophies this season but those dreams have been dashed after they were dumped out of the Europa League. It was a tie they had initially looked so commanding in after going two goals ahead at Old Trafford against the La Liga strugglers.

But the collapse that led to the first leg ending 2-2 continued in Seville as United went behind after just eight minutes when Harry Maguire gave the ball away on the edge of his own box to allow Yossef El-Nesyri to score. Ten Hag's side never recovered and David de Gea then made two horrendous errors in the second half to confound their misery.

READ MORE: United player ratings vs Sevilla

When asked if United were caught off guard by an intense crowd at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, Ten Hag insisted a lack of preparedness was not the reason for the defeat.

"No, absolutely no," he told beIN Sports. "We were prepared but we didn't take the right decisions on the pitch and it was not our day. Big mistake and then the following effects and we were not in the game and we didn't come into the game.

"It was over two legs so you can draw but still you have the opportunity to bounce back it was equal from the start. When you start that badly today in the game you never find the position to win this game.

"We changed but straight after half time another mistake and another goal against what was affordable, that can't happen at our level and we have to step up and learn this very quickly. We've had some defeats more in the last weeks but every time we bounced back."

United don't have long to try and make amends but that will be far from easy when they face high-flying Brighton in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final.

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