Former Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has warned Rúben Amorim about two Lyon players as the two sides face off in the Europa League on Thursday evening.
Manchester United turn their attention back to Europa League action this Thursday evening, crossing the English Channel for a quarter-final showdown with Olympique Lyonnais.
In their last European outing, Rúben Amorim’s men cruised past Spanish side Real Sociedad, securing a comfortable 5-2 aggregate victory to seal their place in the last eight.
Lyon, meanwhile, breezed through their Round of 16 tie, thumping Romanian club FCSB 7-1 across two legs, setting up a highly anticipated clash with United. Amorim’s side remains the only unbeaten team in this season’s Europa League, a feat they will look to build on in France.
However, after being held scoreless in back-to-back Premier League games against Nottingham Forest and Manchester City, Amorim will be eager to see his team rediscover their attacking form in Lyon this week.
Matic warns Amorim of Lyon duo
United’s Europa League tie will see the club play against former Red Nemanja Matic. Matic played at United for five seasons, joining from Chelsea for £40 million in 2017 and departing in 2022 after his contract expired.
Speaking to The Athletic ahead of the tie, the 36-year-old has warned Amorim and his men of midfielder Rayan Cherki and striker Alex Lacazette as they line up in Lyon on Thursday evening.
“The atmosphere will be amazing, the stadium is very good. People can expect a very good game,” Matic started We have a lot of good, experienced, players here, a big squad.
“Of course, Rayan Cherki is someone who a lot of clubs are watching, an amazing talent who can decide a game in one movement. Alex Lacazette is here, who many people know. It will be hard for United and the Europa League is very important for both clubs.
“Here, we’re trying to reach our space in the top three in Ligue 1 so that we can play Champions League next season — that’s where Lyon became famous around the world, and we want to get back there — but we could do that by winning the Europa League.
“It’s a big game. The fans will be loud here. The fans are different to England. To get the same support that you get in the Premier League in France, you need good results.
“In England, I’ve seen a team get relegated in the Premier League and still get clapped by the fans because they felt the players gave everything.”
Cherki’s audition for United
Everyone knows that United are looking for the club to sign new attacking midfielders this summer, and 21-year-old Cherki has been touted by many as a player who fits the bill.
Although United have not yet been credited with interest in the Frenchman this summer, it’s thought that a lot of clubs are circling the player after it was revealed he has a £25 million release clause in his contract.
With Lyon strapped for cash, it’s thought that they would be happy to let the young star depart, and as he faces United over two legs, his may well pique their interest, too.
Speaking last month, former United striker Louis Saha gave a fantastic assessment of the player, explaining how he now sees the young midfielder as a player approaching the form of his life.
“I think I would have said differently three or four months ago, but I don’t know what happened in those two or three months,” the 46-year-old said.
“But my God, Cherki has shown not only growth, but he showed that ability to actually grow the other players around him. So this is a big ability and I’m telling you, in terms of quality, when you have this confidence in you it’s just not skills. It’s the ability to turn heads around.
“It’s the ability to actually provide this technique at the right moment, provide this volume of technique at the highest level I am very impressed. I’ve seen an improvement when you look at a few games that he has played, especially the top.”
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