Manchester United needed a big result and performance to recover from the Manchester derby loss last weekend.
They played well in patches against Tottenham and were carried to victory by Cristiano Ronaldo in a vital 3-2 win.
In his post-match press conference, Ralf Rangnick shared what he told the players before the match, essentially describing the perfect opportunity to recover from their humiliation at the Etihad Stadium.
“Before leaving the dressing room for kick-off, I told the team that everyone was gutted, frustrated, disappointed, in the dressing room after the derby.
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“Today is the best possible day, place and opponent in front of 75,000 people to show the reaction we needed to show.
“That was the only answer we could give after that game. You can lose to Manchester City, other teams lose there.
“But that second half was not like Manchester United and we showed the reaction we needed to show.”
Rangnick had a reaction from his side, who were decent on the ball for much of the afternoon, and kept Spurs from creating too many chances.
Without Ronaldo’s brilliance, perhaps United would reflect on a disappointing afternoon, but the Portuguese superstar was given the chance and he offered the finishing touch.
The German must now oversee another crucial victory when Ronaldo’s former enemies Atletico Madrid travel to Old Trafford on Tuesday night.
