In a way, the March international break came at the best time for Manchester United and coach Ruben Amorim. Because this period of time has interrupted their recent upgrading.
The easy 3-0 victory over Leicester City extended Man United's unbeaten streak to 7 matches in all competitions. This is their longest unbeaten streak in the 2024-2025 season. After a dismal start, the Red Devils finally found the light at the end of the tunnel.
However, after the victory at the King Power Stadium, instead of complaining about the two-week hiatus, Amorim supported this holiday. According to the Dutch strategist, his students have reached the limit.
"We will use this time to rest and recover, that will be good. When we come back, everything will be like starting over" - Amorim said.
With Man United in 13th place in the Premier League, Europa League will decide the rest of the campaign. And can they save something from their worst season in their modern era?
Man United will have a match against Nottingham Forest on April 2, followed by the Manchester derby at Old Trafford. Those two games will show whether Amorim's players can maintain the form they showed before the international break. Or their recent revival is just another unusual in a turbulent season, both on and off the pitch.
After the derby with Man City, the "Red Devils" will travel to Lyon in the Europa League quarter-finals. This is their last chance to lift their title this season and more importantly, ensure a place in the Champions League next season.
Amorim may have tried to downplay the importance of going deep in the Europa League this season, arguing that the title is not the most important thing as he continues to plan to reform Man United.
But Amorim understands the importance of European football at Man United next season, for financial reasons as well as reputation, especially in the context of the club in a difficult situation. Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has said the club will go bankrupt at Christmas if he does not invest £232.5m.
Not winning the Europa League and not qualifying for the Champions League will cost Man United up to 100 million pounds in revenue. The Old Trafford side could also earn up to £20 million from ticket sales for home games in Europe. Meanwhile, their shirt sponsorship deal with Adidas includes a £10 million penalty for each season they have not participated in the Champions League.
That is why, after Man United were left out of the FA Cup and landed in the Premier League, the Europa League became so important and will also decide which players they can sign this summer, as Amorim continues the process of rebuilding.
If Man United can beat Lyon, they will head into the semi-finals against Rangers - the team they beat 3-2 at Old Trafford in January - or Athletic Bilbao. Tottenham will be a potential opponent for M.U if they are favored to advance to the final.
With Man United falling too far behind in the Premier League rankings to qualify for the European Cup, but also unable to be dragged into a relegation battle, everything depends on the Europa League. Amorim can say the opposite in public, but in fact, he knows the consequences if he fails to achieve his goals.
"We are still far from what I expected so I won't feel too satisfied. Our performance and results are getting better and better, but the whole team needs to continue to win and improve. I'm seeing the positives in the team," said the Portuguese after the win over Leicester.
