Manchester United

Manchester United fielded the same XI that were embarrassed 7-0 at Liverpool on Sunday. This time, they got the result, rolling over Real Betis 4-1.

Ten Hag said the aim was to move on as quickly as possible from the nightmare against Liverpool and, despite a sticky spell after Real Betis got their equaliser, he got what he wanted. [Villarreal](/soccer/team?id=102) in LaLiga (1:30 p.m. The former [Manchester City](/soccer/team?id=382) goalkeeper let Fernandes' header shoot through his hands. Both the manager and the fans wanted a reaction after the defeat to Liverpool, and Fernandes was first in line. Ten Hag has won praise for his man management this season, and his move after the humiliation at Anfield was to send out the same team against Real Betis. A one- or two-goal deficit might have been manageable, but after losing 4-1, the tie is all but decided. If the Man United fans who turned up on a snowy Manchester night had underestimated Real Betis, they won't now. Real Betis were level at 1-1 at half-time after on-loan [Leicester City](/soccer/team?id=375) forward [Ayoze Perez](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/192133/Ayoze-Pérez) equalised, but United scored three times in the second half to make some amends for the 7-0 defeat at Anfield last weekend. I want to make clear to you, our fans, that I share your bitter disappointment about the result and the players have been left in no doubt that we cannot tolerate what we saw in the second half on Sunday." He has faced calls to be stripped of his role as one of United's captains but, backed by manager Erik ten Hag at his news conference on Wednesday, the United took the tie away from Real Betis with an impressive display in the second half and Fernandes was at the centre of most of it. Wearing the armband just as he did at Anfield, Fernandes was involved in United's early first goal when his cross could only be cleared into Rashford's path.

The scars left by the 7-0 Liverpool thumping on Sunday were still on show against Real Betis, but a 4-1 win restored United's sense of self.

[Casemiro](https://theathletic.com/football/player/casemiro-wQ6Q8xViV8kqizDc/) is integral to many of this side’s systems whether they are in possession or without it: he is both the bathplug to stop the flow of opposition attackers and a pressure valve when United are in the ascendancy and looking for goals. [Luke Shaw](https://theathletic.com/football/player/luke-shaw-Zy2SAXAr0OEuSY7y/) around the hour mark, before Weghorst added gloss to things with a late fourth. For Antony, he saluted the winger’s goal after he had been asked at half-time to “be more brave, go behind more, taking players on (and showing) more movement”. [Marcus Rashford](https://theathletic.com/football/player/marcus-rashford-xgQlXcNj79jwXiD4/) scoring on six minutes settled early nerves, but United’s soft underbelly remained on show for most of the first half. To [Liverpool](https://theathletic.com/football/team/liverpool/). As United’s momentum slowed, Betis grew into the game; [Ayoze Perez](https://theathletic.com/football/player/ayoze-perez-S9xnzQLm7XmiRQGT/)’s equaliser just after the half-hour capped the sort of move that happens to previously confident teams after a chastening defeat. United remained short of the required intensity and football intelligence in the final third of the pitch. Before kick-off, the name of every United player was cheered when it was read out over the loudspeakers. Whatever was said about the trio of Weghorst, Antony and Fernandes after Sunday can now be consigned to history. [Wout Weghorst touching the “This is Anfield” sign](https://theathletic.com/4284492/2023/03/07/weghorst-manchesterunited-liverpool-anfield/), Bruno Fernandes’ [un-captainlike performance](https://theathletic.com/4279577/2023/03/06/bruno-fernandes-united-liverpool-meltdown/) and the variable output of [Antony](https://theathletic.com/football/player/antony-wnm4X5Bgf4PfC0PP/). The players have spent most of this week hoping to put such a freak scoreline behind them, but their supporters, who had been the butt of jokes from workmates, family and friends for those four days, felt rather differently. It was a sentiment echoed by more than one fan at popular pre-match drinking hole The Bishop Blaize near Old Trafford, as visiting fans flashed seven-fingered taunts on their song-and-dance approach to the stadium.

Erik ten Hag said his Manchester United captain, Bruno Fernandes, 'showed personality' against Real Betis after the humiliating defeat at Liverpool.

From minute one they were behind the team, the team gave energy by performance and they gave it back. “We played 23 games in-a-row with one loss and the 24th was a huge defeat. He has to bring it, it is his strength and when it’s too much it becomes a weakness, that’s true – he knows that and there are always small margins.” Ten Hag selected the same players that started against Liverpool, giving them the chance to respond. The manager, when asked if this part of his game should be curtailed, said: “It’s his strength and his passion but you are right, sometimes he has to control that. From there we created a lot of chances.”

MANCHESTER, England : Four Real Betis fans were arrested at Old Trafford on Thursday for disorderly conduct at their team's Europa League last-16 game ...

Manchester Police added that two of the Betis fans arrested remain in police custody for questioning. "Four Real Betis supporters were arrested for violent disorder, assault, possession of flares inside the stadium and possession of a controlled drug," Greater Manchester Police said in a statement. MANCHESTER, England : Four Real Betis fans were arrested at Old Trafford on Thursday for disorderly conduct at their team's Europa League last-16 game against Manchester United, local police said on Friday.