Ruben Amorim has called on Manchester United fans to turn up in full voice at Old Trafford on Thursday night.
The Red Devils host Lyon in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie, which is level at 2-2 after a thriller in France last Thursday.
Andre Onana’s pair of errors denied United victory over Lyon last week. Amorim’s men performed admirably to recover from their early setback when Onana flapped at a cross and saw the softly hit delivery bounce over him and into the goal.
But all of their efforts were undone in the 95th minute when the keeper – branded as ‘one of the worst in the club’s history’ by Nemanja Matic before the game – palmed a close range drive straight into the path of Rayan Cherki to draw Lyon level.
Despite last week’s agony, United will take heart from their overall display and will be confident of claiming a win on home soil that would seal progress to the semi-final.
And ahead of tonight’s do-or-die clash, Amorim told the Old Trafford faithful to ‘get ready to give everything’ in a statement addressed to fans on the club’s website.
Ruben Amorim addressed Manchester United fans ahead of their Europa League clash tonight
The Red Devils host French side Lyon at Old Trafford in the second leg of their last-eight clash
The tie is level at 2-2 after a dramatic first leg in Lyon which saw two errors from Andre Onana
The statement continued: ‘That is my only message to everybody involved with Manchester United ahead of tonight’s UEFA Europa League quarter-final decider.
‘Last Sunday, we were naturally disappointed by the nature of our Premier League defeat at Newcastle, but that is the past, and since Monday we have focused entirely on what we need to do tonight.
‘As we welcome Paulo Fonseca and Lyon to Old Trafford this evening, we all know what is at stake. The tie is currently level, so we have to win to progress, and to do that we will have to play well against a strong opponent.
‘We must play with our hearts and our heads, and that applies to the players, staff and supporters. The advantage of being at home tonight is that we have the incredible weapon of a packed Old Trafford on our side, and that can make a huge difference for us.
‘This competition represents an opportunity for us to take something positive from a difficult season. There are two huge rewards on offer: the UEFA Europa League trophy and the chance to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
‘Those are prizes worth fighting for. But, tonight, we cannot look beyond the immediate challenge of beating Lyon, so we must all give everything we’ve got to reach the semi-finals.’
Glory in the Europa League would secure United qualification to the Champions League in 2025-26, which would provide a silver lining to an otherwise dismal season at Old Trafford.
United sit 14th in the Premier League table, just three points ahead of West Ham in 17th, and have virtually nothing to play for except the Europa League – and pride, of course.
Amorim told the Old Trafford faithful to ‘get ready to give everything’ ahead of tonight’s game
They are still mathematically able to secure European qualification through their league position, although their chances are slim.
United exited the Carabao Cup in the quarter-finals at the hands of Tottenham back in December, while their FA Cup exit came in the fifth round against Fulham at the start of last month.
Despite being on course to log their worst points tally in Premier League history (45), United surprisingly remain undefeated in Europe in 2024-25.
Across their 11 Europa League games this season, the Red Devils have managed six wins and five draws.
