Youri Tielemans pinpoints Man Utd issue that Leicester were able to exploit
Youri Tielemans says Leicester’s game plan was built around making the most of Manchester United’s midweek exploits in Europe as the Foxes capitalised on tired legs in Sunday’s FA Cup clash.
United had less than 72 hours to prepare for the quarter-final tie after a hard-fought win over AC Milan on Thursday.
Meanwhile Leicester were blessed with a full weeks rest which helped them recharge before booking their passage to the last four.
Tielemans was among the scorers as Leicester saw off United in a convincing 3-1 win, and the midfielder believes their extra recuperation made all the difference.
“We knew they came from a European game on Thursday, which was a very quick turnaround for them,” Tielemans told beIN Sports. “They’ve played a lot of games.
(Image: PA)
“We knew in the first half, and the second half as well, we could press them high up the pitch and put them under pressure. It worked out well.
“It’s a big win, when you win a quarter-final it’s always a big win. Against such a good team, it was going to be tough but we did great.
“We went 1-0 up and then they got a goal, but I felt like we were in control the whole game and then we scored two good goals in the second half. We kept working together and kept the lines tight.”
It took just 24 minutes for the Foxes to pounce on Fred’s hospital backpass, allowing Kelechi Iheanacho in to score.
(Image: Getty Images)
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Mason Greenwood levelled the scoring but Tielemans restored the advantage shortly after half-time when he drove through midfield before firing low into the bottom corner.
The in-form Iheanacho then sealed the victory with a late header, setting up a semi-final tie with Southampton.
Tielemans added: “Every cup win is special. Manchester United are a good team, a good club, with a lot of history. We know that in the cups that we have to beat the best if we want to go all of the way. Today we made a good statement.
“We need to keep going like that.”