Ruben Amorim states that Manchester United is under pressure to advance to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League.

Ruben Amorim has made it clear that the “pressure is on” Manchester United as they prepare for their UEFA Europa League second leg against Real Sociedad next week.

United managed to secure a 1-1 draw in Spain on Thursday night, taking the lead in the second half through a well-taken goal by Joshua Zirkzee. However, their advantage was short-lived as Bruno Fernandes conceded a penalty, which was expertly converted by Mikel Oyarzabal in the 70th minute.

The visitors had shown promise up until that pivotal moment, but the remainder of the match saw them struggle to maintain their earlier momentum. Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Amorim reflected on how the equaliser shifted the dynamics of the game.

“No, I felt until the penalty that we had control of the game,” he said. “Then I think, a little bit, the penalty changed the momentum.”

The Portuguese manager attributed some of the shift in momentum to fatigue, particularly given United’s limited options from the bench due to injuries. “I think our team in the last 30 minutes were really, really tired. You can feel that in the game,” he noted.

“The momentum changed, but I think it was clearly fatigue. We were late on the ball, even on transitions. You could see that they were stronger in that 30 minutes.” Amorim acknowledged that while his side had good possession prior to the penalty, their decision-making in the final third could have been sharper. “We had some good moments in the game,” he added.

Looking ahead to the crucial second leg at Old Trafford, which will be broadcast live on TNT Sports and discovery+, Amorim anticipates an added layer of expectation. However, before they can focus on that, they must first navigate a challenging Premier League clash against Arsenal this Sunday.

“We take this stage to Old Trafford,” he stated confidently. “It’s going to be a different game. The pressure is on us in that stadium. We have to be ready; the key will be surviving physically on Sunday and being fresh for Thursday.”

As the countdown to the second leg begins, all eyes will be on how United respond to the mounting pressure in front of their home crowd.