How Manchester United beat Real Betis 4-1 in Europa League first leg

Erik ten Hag has spoken about how his side reacted to Sunday's brutal 7-0 defeat against Liverpool: "We don't ignore it. We make mistakes and we got hammered. We didn't control the standards we have and we showed complacency and you can never do that in top football.

"I did in weeks before. I was not happy against Newcastle and the performance against Leicester in the first half but sometimes you have to get the bad result where everyone opens their eyes."

Manuel Pellegrini has spoken to the media following the loss: "We competed very well in the first half. It was a great goal from Antony and the corner finished the game off.

"They were superior towards the end of the game. They could have scored a couple more. The game was decided in five minutes.

"The first half was even. Once they scored that great goal from Antony, after those two goals, we weren’t the team we normally are.

"Once they had a two-goal advantage their confidence went up and up.

"I don’t think a knockout game is ever over. It won’t be easy. We will try. You have to be calm to try and overcome this situation. There is a big margin but we will give all we can in the second leg."

A nice moment for Wout Weghorst as the home supporters show him love after the win:

Erik ten Hag has also spoken to BT Sport: "I think we played a very good game in both halves. At half-time we should have been up 3-0 but we make one mistake it is 1-1.

"We scored some good goals, we gave the fans something to support and they gave it back, so we are very grateful.

"It was a great attitude. We were good on the ball, made good switches and runs in behind and created a lot of chances.

"It is always good to see how the team reacts after a setback. This is not the first time this season we can reset and bounce back. This team has character, so big compliment to the team.

"For a striker, (Weghorst) was so close so many times. He has already created chances and goals for others and he deserved his goal.

"Bruno (Fernandes) was fantastic. He led the team with his control of the game and passing and then he scored a goal.

"I think the substitutes made a good impact, and you see when we made the last two we made it 4-1."

"We can reset and we can bounce back... this team has character!"

"Bruno, I think he was brilliant today!" ????

An overjoyed Erik ten Hag breaks down a much-improved performance from Man Utd during their 4-1 first-leg win over Real Betis ????

????️ @DannyJamieson pic.twitter.com/1JpNR5aZ5p

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 9, 2023

Real Betis' goalscorer Ayoze Perez also spoke after the match: "This is tough to explain, particularly after the first half we produced against a top side like United.

"We needed to want the ball more, to keep it better because, with that, you have United in their own half and you can tighten the screw.

"Their goal to make it 2-1 was very good but all the others were avoidable from our point of view.

"We came here with the idea of winning firmly in our heads. In the first half, we coped with their early pressure before equalising and then creating other chances to score.

"It's very frustrating. We knew that United's first 15 minutes of each half would be intense, but we didn't cope with the second one.

"United's second goal probably took the wind out of our sails a little and we didn't react well enough. It doesn't leave us with a good feeling. However, at home, in front of our great fans, absolutely anything can happen."

Goalscorer Marcus Rashford has spoken to BT Sport after the win: "It is always important to win the next fixture after a loss. It is the only way to bounce back and continue the momentum we had before the game.

"We always try to start quick and a goal always helps that. I think they defended the box well in the first half but in the second half it opened up more, as to be expected with the game at 1-1.

"We started well in both halves, and yeah it is important to try and score the goals and that is the difference."

On Wout Weghorst's goal: "As a forward he gets joy from scoring goals and he works hard and does all the other stuff. But he wants to score goals."

On responding to the Liverpool loss: "It is a step back in the right direction. We have to build on it now again but we can't put too much emphasis on Sunday because it is gone and we can't change it, so we have to keep moving forward."

"It's a step back in the right direction!"@DannyJamieson talks to Marcus Rashford about a much-improved evening at Old Trafford, as well as what Wout Weghorst's goal means to the whole group ????️#UEL pic.twitter.com/Bs4noUacF2

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 9, 2023

Erik ten Hag named an unchanged starting XI tonight for the first time since September, and his players paid back the faith shown in them after the calamitous defeat to Liverpool.

Tonight's result is the first time Manchester United have scored four goals in a European game since beating Istanbul Basaksehir 4-1 in November 2020.

(All photos by Getty Images)

Contesting matches across four different competitions this season, Manchester United have now earned 31 wins this season.

That's four more victories than any other side among Europe's five big leagues, with Barcelona, Napoli, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City all sitting on 27 wins in all competitions.

Manchester United have now scored at least two goals in 15 consecutive home matches for the fourth time in their history, and for the first time since March-October 2000.

A bit of post-game aggro seen amongst the Betis fans:

Some aggro in away end as that match finished, missiles both directions. A seat came flying from Betis section + one of their fans took off his belt to try to whip United supporters over the green netting.

Police arrived to intervene.#MUFC pic.twitter.com/DuHtIdlyiC

— Laurie Whitwell (@lauriewhitwell) March 9, 2023

Real Betis have now won just one of their past eight knockout matches in the Europa League, suffering four losses alongside three draws during that time.

Manchester United are now unbeaten in the first leg of their past nine European knockout ties, taking five wins alongside four draws.

Today's other three late Europa League first leg matches have gone final:

• Juventus 1-0 Freiburg
• Sevilla 2-0 Fenerbahce
• Shakhtar Donetsk 1-1 Feyenoord

This season, Manchester United have won their next game after bad defeats to Brentford, Manchester City, Aston Villa and now Liverpool.

Nothing can erase the memory of that 7-0 but this was a professional response. It means Ten Hag might actually rotate his squad in Seville next week.

United take a strong three-goal advantage with them to Spain for next week's second leg.

90+3' Manchester United 4-1 Real Betis

Pellistri breaks down the right side and forces a save from Bravo. The 21-year-old has been super lively since coming on.

Wout Weghorst has started all 15 Manchester United games since joining on loan, more than anybody would have expected. The crowd’s reaction just now to his first goal at Old Trafford is a clear sign of how his efforts are appreciated.

Ten Hag’s two subs combining straight away to create the goal.

90+1' Manchester United 4-1 Real Betis

Fan trouble breaking out in the away section as Real Betis fans... disagree with UEFA stewards and United taunts. Seems like a few bad eggs are being ejected.

Four minutes are added on to the end of the match.

Readers in the US can check out the replay of United's fourth goal here:

Readers in the UK can check out the replay of United's fourth goal here: