Solskjaer explains what winning Europa League would mean for Man Utd

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes winning the Europa League would inspire an era of greater success for Manchester United.

After finishing third in the Premier League, United have now turned their attentions to Europe. They face LASK in the second leg of their Europa League Round of 16 tie on Wednesday night, holding a 5-0 advantage from the reverse fixture.

United do not need to win the Europa League to qualify for the Champions League. But Solskjaer knows the significance a cup run could have on the club.

The Red Devils were eliminated from the FA Cup and Carabao Cup at the semi-final stage this season. However, Solskjaer is confident they can go all the way in the Europa League.

“The next step for this team now is getting our hands on a trophy,” Solskjaer said.

“We’ve been to two semi-finals – Carabao Cup and FA Cup – this year. We want to go one step further and we want to win something.

“When we won the Premier League, or Sir Alex won the Premier League for the first time, that was the start of the Premier League era. It started with the FA Cup.

“For me, personally, when I won my first trophy as a player it made me more hungry, because you saw the highs of it. You saw how much it meant for everyone.

“And for me, for this team as well, I think if we can get our hands on a trophy, it’s a big step forward.”

 

 

United have not won a trophy since 2017, when they clinched the EFL Cup and Europa League. Presuming they get past LASK, they would then need to win just three matches to lift the latter trophy again.

Solskjaer has confirmed that the lineup he selects will be similar to the one he used in the first leg. Jesse Lingard will start, after scoring on the last day of the Premier League season.