Ben Guest
Jose Mourinho has talked down Manchester United’s chances in this season’s Champions League, saying that he is just focusing on this weeks game against Sevilla.
It was a good week for Premier League side’s last week with Man City and Liverpool grabbing commanding first-leg leads, while Tottenham came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with last season’s finalists Juventus. These results have prompted some people to suggest that the five Premier League clubs are among the favourites to lift the European Cup.
However, with United heading to Sevilla this week for their last 16 first-leg fixture, Jose Mourinho was quick to talk down his team’s chances, insisting there is far too much football to play to be thinking about winning it.
He said:
“In the last 16 I don’t speak about contenders. Only those couple of teams who season after season are always there, always in the finals.
“I think at this moment we are just one of the 16. The next round of the Champions League is the one that I consider really fundamental.
“It is the one that makes you go from 16 to eight and when you are in the last eight then yes, you become a contender even if you are not the favourites.
“That’s always the way I felt in my previous Champions league. When you’re in the 16, 16 is too much.
“But after two matches and you become eight then you have the draws and you sometimes have combinations that may open some door a little bit more.
“But now I think it’s too early to say any more.”