Raphael Varane says Manchester United have “no fear” of facing Manchester City in their FA Cup final derby showdown.
United defender Varane also claimed his side can thwart City's 52-goal record-breaking striker Haaland and wreck Pep Guardiola's side's Treble bid. Guardiola's Premier League champions go into the Wembley encounter as favourites to complete the second leg of a potential Treble.
City are on course to emulate United's historic Treble of 1999, with Erik ten Hag's side under pressure to protect their club's unique place in history. Varane, a serial winner with former club Real Madrid, said he and his team-mates are relishing the chance to beat City – and are not daunted by the task.
Asked if there was any sense of fear about facing City, Varane, a World Cup winner with France, said: "Fear? No. Why?
"Every game is a challenge. I like to challenge myself and I like to challenge other teams too. The most important thing is to believe. It doesn't matter if it's a team in good or bad form, the challenge is in front of us and we have to accept it and do our best to win.
"I like to face big challenges, especially when something looks impossible. When the challenge is big I feel more motivation, and it's the same for the team."
Varane also claimed United can nullify Haaland's goal threat – by cutting off the supply to him from City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. "Haaland is a very good player, we all know that, but the danger from City is everywhere,” said Varane.
“They can score from set-plays, from a possession game and from a transition game. We know we have to stop them as a team and collectively as a group.
“As a defender, the connection, especially with De Bruyne - that kind of pass is complicated to defend, so we'll try to cut that connection. We'll try to stop them earlier and not at the end, because sometimes it’s too late. We know we have to be strong as a team.”
