Victor Lindelof believes Manchester United's difficult path to the UEFA Europa League final has prepared the Reds for their match against Villarreal on Wednesday.
The Yellow Submarine are United's third Spanish opponent in this season's tournament, following wins over Real Sociedad and Granada.
Lindelof, like many of his teammates, is hoping to win his first trophy as a United player, which would be a watershed moment in any Red's career.
“I came here to win trophies,” the Swede said during our pre-game interview.
“Having the opportunity to do that in the final will be enormous.
“It's been a fantastic journey to the final. You always want to play against the best teams, and getting those games has been fantastic for us because we have to be on our toes and prepared for anything. It's been a great journey here, and hopefully, we can finish the job and do well against a strong team like Villarreal."
Lindelof appeared in United's victories over AC Milan, Granada, and the thrashing of AS Roma at Old Trafford. He also played in last year's semi-final loss to Sevilla and understands the importance of the first trophy under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
“If we win the first one, we can build some momentum, carry it into the next season, and have that mentality that you know you can do it,” he said.
“I'm going to give it everything I've got. Villarreal is an excellent team. They play good football, and it will be a difficult match.
”They aren't in the championship game for no reason. They've been playing well and winning games, so we have to be at our best if we want to win.”
In addition to the usual pre-match preparations of the coaching staff, Lindelof will have learned about Villarreal from his center-back partner Eric Bailly. The Ivorian worked in the east of Spain for 18 months and remains in touch with some of his former teammates.
One of the key battles in Wednesday's final will pit Lindelof against free-scoring striker Gerard Moreno, who has 29 goals this season, six of which have come in the Europa League.
Our center-back will be encouraged by the presence of Manchester United fans, who will be attending the club's first away match in 14 months in Gdansk, Poland.
“They give you a lot of energy and adrenaline,” Victor exclaimed.
“It has the potential to make a significant difference. I'm not sure how many people will be in the stadium, but having fans there to cheer for you is always a plus.
“I just wanted to say thank you for all of your help during this difficult time that everyone has been going through due to the pandemic. I want to hear their voices, I want to hear them scream, even if it isn't always for good reasons, and I want to hear their voices at the stadium. It will be a wonderful feeling to have them all back. I just wanted to thank you for sticking with us and providing us with that extra energy.”
United's road record this season has been exceptional, with the club going the entire Premier League season unbeaten away from home. One more win on our travels is all that is required for a sixth major European trophy.
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