David Moyes hopes success against Bayern Munich in the Uefa Champions League on Tuesday night can give added momentum to the team’s recovery from a disappointing Premier League title defence.
United are seventh in the table, on target for their worst domestic season in English football since 1991, though they did give their fans some cheer with a 4-1 victory over Aston Villa on Saturday.
The only hope of a trophy in the Scotsman’s first season in charge is the Champions League, but Bayern, the holders, represent a big hurdle to win the competition for a fourth time. The German club have underlined their impressive form by retaining the Bundesliga title with seven games to spare.
The first leg of the quarter-final is at Old Trafford, and the return leg is in Munich eight days later. Moyes said of the challenge: “It’s been a difficult season for us, but we can go a long way to doing an awful lot better if we can get a result on Tuesday.
“The players are incredibly focused and I am really looking forward to the game.”
Moyes received support from United fans on Saturday against Villa, despite a plane being flown over Old Trafford during the game with the banner “Wrong One – Moyes Out” by some frustrated United supporters.
But Moyes, who was appointed last May following the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, said he believed he still had the backing of most United fans.
"The majority of people are supportive," he said. "They understand the job we are doing. We know we have a big job to do here and we are determined to put it right."
While Moyes was buoyed by his side’s return to winning ways, it was also a good day for Juan Mata as the midfielder scored his first goal for the club since his move from Chelsea in January.
The 25-year-old Spaniard scored 32 goals in his final two seasons at Chelsea, and now he hopes to notch many more for his current employers.
“It felt very good to score,” Mata said. “It’s taken a few games, but I felt it was coming. I will try to score as many as I can between now and the end of the season, and hopefully it is the first of many in my Manchester United career.”
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