Zlatan Ibrahimovic happy with Anfield draw

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was happy with Manchester United’s 0-0 draw at Liverpool on Monday, and insists his side remain in the running for the Premier League title.
It was a closely-contested game of few chances at Anfield, but David de Gea had to be at his best to deny Emre Can and Philippe Coutinho in the second-half as Liverpool ended the game with 65 per cent possession against a stubborn United side.
Ibrahimovic fluffed is lines with United’s best chance, failing to convert Paul Pogba’s cross with a header, but the former Sweden international was content to take a point back to Manchester.
“I think it was a good result, after the second half, the chances they had,” Ibrahimovic told Sky Sports.
“First half we did what we needed to do. Second half we did it less. It opened up more for them. They had more chances than they did in the first half.”
Ibrahimovic remains upbeat about United’s long-term prospects, as Jose Mourinho looks to re-establish the club’s credentials as challengers for key trophies.
“We will still work and we can do much more. We are working hard and we are getting there,” Ibrahimovic added.
“The season is long. Many teams are losing points at the same time. Any week different things can happen. You need to win games [but] if you win two games in a row you are near the top. That’s the way it has been so far.
“It’s a long season, the competition is long, it’s not easy. We are fighting, we are training hard so we just need to click – then it will be easier.”
On his own spurned chance he admitted: “It was difficult…but I should have at least got it on target. But I was there, that’s the important thing and next time I will do better.”

Juan Mata's Blog: The Theatre of Dreams never disappoints

Hi everyone,

Once again I’m writing to you after a good week, when we have been working well to get another victory. Last Friday’s win was special, not only because we played on a Friday night, which is quite unusual when you are involved in a European competition, but also because it was the first official game in Old Trafford this season. As you can imagine, the atmosphere lived up to the expectations. Once again we could feel the support of the crowd; it is vital if we want to make of every game in Old Trafford a special day. It is also vital, in my opinion, to generate that ‘chemistry’ with our fans in order to make of our stadium a very tough place for the other teams.

We played a solid game against Southampton to get the second win out of two games in the Premiership. It’s still August and that means we are still working on a few adjustments. We know there’s still room for improvement. We are laying the foundations of the team for this season and, you know, those wins help us to create an optimistic atmosphere and make things go well. Last Friday we deserved the three points. The only bad news was my friend Oriol Romeu’s injury, luckily it’s nothing serious. It’s always a pleasure to see you again, Ori, you are a phenomenal player and one of the best persons I’ve ever met in the world of football.

We have a tough game ahead on Saturday at Hull City. It’s never easy and they are one of the four teams that have won the first two games this season. They are back in the Premier League this year and are having a surprising start. We will try to win and keep our good streak.

La Liga kicked off in Spain this weekend. Barcelona played an impressive game and defeated Betis with yet another great game from Messi. If he starts the season like this it’s not easy to foresee how far is he going to get. Real Madrid also won in Anoeta with two goals from Bale and one from Asensio (this guy is very talented). It was also the first week in the Second Division. Unfortunately, Real Oviedo lost in Valladolid but we all have hopes in this project. Michu has been the latest addition to the team and I’m really happy for the club but also for him, because he’s been very unlucky with injuries. I hope he can help the team go back to the First Division! Good luck, ‘crack’.

Lastly, I’d like to say something about the Olympic Games in Rio, that are now over. It’s been great to enjoy so many sports during these two weeks, I really love the Games. Congratulations to all the participants and specially to the Spanish medallists. They have made history again and have produced exciting and unforgettable moments. You guys are great! The effort and sacrifice of all the competitors is commendable. Aside from medals or diplomas, the feeling of being part of the Games is really worth it, I know that from my own experience! But the true champions have been the #TeamRefugees in their first Olympic Games. You are the true winners and deserve a big applause!

Have a nice week. Hugs,