Europa League

Man United's Juan Mata: 'We can face reality following Champions League exit'

By Danielle Joynson, Staff Reporter | 11 December 2015

Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata says that he and his teammates will "fight" to win the Europa League after they dropped out of the Champions League.

Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata has claimed that he and his teammates will "fight" for the Europa League after dropping out of the Champions League.

Louis van Gaal's side suffered a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Wolfsburg on Tuesday, resulting in their exit from the group stage.

United will now compete in the second-tier European competition, alongside fellow Premier League clubs Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.

The Red Devils are still in the running for the Premier League title and the FA Cup.

"It's disappointing for us, for the fans and for everyone, but we have to move on," Mata told MUTV. "I played in the Europa League three seasons ago, coming out of the Champions League, and, at the end, we won it [with Chelsea]. So you never know.

"Obviously, we wanted to carry on in the Champions League but the reality is what it is. We're in the Europa League and we have three different tournaments to fight for and that's what we'll do until the end of the season."

United will take on Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium this Saturday.