London [UK], June 2 : Manchester United's ace defender Raphael Varane reflected on what his team needs to do in order to stop their arch-rival Manchester City's marksman Erling Haaland in the FA Cup final scheduled on Saturday.
The Red Devils' biggest challenge will be to keep up against 52-goal Erling Haaland and subdue him at all costs. The Norwegian striker struck a hat-trick against the Reds in the 6-3 Premier League victory at the Etihad Stadium earlier this season.
The French defender is aware of the danger Haaland possesses but he becomes more tenacious when the Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne starts to link up with him. Varane has warned his team they must cut off the supply line from De Bruyne.
"That kind of pass is complicated to defend, so we try to cut that connection. We try to stop them earlier and not at the end because sometimes it's too late," he told reporters. "We know we have to be strong. That was part of the plan [in the 2-1 for United] because they have a lot of connections and can change systems and have a different approach to games. It's one of the things we have to work on," Varane told reporters as quoted by Goal.com.
Varane is expected to feature in Manchester United's playing XI against Manchester City and after that, he will enjoy a rest over the summer.
The 30-year-old defender will not join up with the France squad, he announced his retirement from international football after World Cup 2022 final.
Earlier Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag also emphasized on the importance of securing the FA Cup in his debut season to label the current season as a success.
"Absolutely and I think it tells something about our season, as a squad and as a team, that we did a lot things very well. A lot of positives in this season, but I think still it's no time to evaluate the season. We have two games to go, we have to secure third place and then we have to secure the FA Cup," Ten Hag said as quoted by ManchesterUntied.com.
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