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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Tom Victor

Erik ten Hag's dressing room message to Man Utd stars after Real Betis win speaks volumes

Erik ten Hag told his Manchester United players to focus on their next game within moments of wrapping up victory over Real Betis in the Europa League.

United avoided a potential banana-skin in Spain, winning 1-0 to complete a 5-1 aggregate victory over Manuel Pellegrini's side. They remain among the favourites for Europa League glory, having reached the semi-finals in 2020 and the final in 2021.

That isn't the only tournament they're gunning for, though, and an FA Cup quarter-final with Fulham awaits on Sunday. United have already won one domestic cup under Ten Hag this season, and goalkeeper David de Gea revealed where the manager's focus lies.

“Starting now, the manager says, ‘Come on guys, take the shower and go home quickly to recover as soon as possible.'," De Gea told MUTV.

“Yeah, it’s non-stop. We play again on Sunday, another big game, another big competition, so we have to recover really well, prepare the game as best as we can and go again.”

United are at home to Fulham on Sunday, knowing that only four Premier League teams are left in the FA Cup with the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and holders Liverpool eliminated early. Ten Hag's team have already beaten the Cottagers once this season, with Alejandro Garnacho scoring a late winner in November's meeting.

How many trophies will Man Utd win this season? Have your say in the comments section

Marcus Rashford scored the only goal of the game as Man Utd beat Real Betis (AFP via Getty Images)

As for Europe, competition remains strong despite the elimination of Premier League leaders Arsenal. The Gunners were eliminated on penalties by Sporting Lisbon, while Real Sociedad - who beat United in the group stage - have also been knocked out.

There are still strong teams left in the competition, though, including Sporting and Jose Mourinho's Roma. Juventus, Bayer Leverkusen and Sevilla all began the season in the Champions League, while Union Saint-Gilloise and Feyenoord recorded impressive wins in the round of 16.

United's second leg was largely a formality, after goals from Antony, Bruno Fernandes and Wout Weghorst helped them secure a 4-1 victory in the first leg at Old Trafford. Marcus Rashford had opened the scoring in the home leg, and the England man was on target again at Estadio Benito Villamarin.

Ten Hag gave Facundo Pellistri a full debut against Real Betis (PA)

The trip to Spain also brought a long-awaited full debut for Facundo Pellistri. The Uruguayan winger joined United in 2020, but was made to wait for a first start after a loan exit and a run of outings from the bench under Ten Hag.

“Hopefully it's the start of this," Pellistri said after the game. "Of course I'm hungry. A lot of players in the group are really hungry, we have one amazing group. We all push to the same side. Hopefully, at the end of the season, we can win a lot of trophies.

“Being in a club like Manchester United, you always want to be here. So now I'm focused on helping the team to win more trophies this season.”

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