Manchester United Women manager Marc Skinner was absolutely delighted with his side’s impressive victory in the first leg of their Champions League tie. The Reds ran out 3-0 winners over Atlético Madrid in Spain to put themselves in total control of the tie heading back to Manchester next Thursday. Handling pressure Speaking to the club’s official site after the game, Skinner was asked about how he felt his side controlled the pressure of the night and he responded, “I was really pleased, to be honest. We expected to put in a strong performance because you have to if you want to win games like this. I felt we controlled Atleti, who have real threats, and we managed that really well.” He mentioned that the pitch was a problem for both sides but that “overall, we were ruthless in attack and solid at both ends. Phallon (Tullis-Joyce) made an incredible save from the free kick — we know Vilda (Bøe Risa) very well — and that moment could have shifted the momentum. All in all, it was a super professional performance and something we can be really happy with.” Going for the win Despite entering next week with a three-goal cushion, the head coach believes United must approach the tie as normal. He claimed, “it’s absolutely huge. But we won’t go there to play for a draw — we have to play for another win. If you do that, the opponent understands the level they’re up against. If you want to be a team consistently near the top, you have to set standards. We’ll shift our focus to London City first, but when Atleti comes around again, we’ll respect them and aim for another great performance. That’s the only way to compete in the Champions League.” Quality of goals Skinner was then asked if he was surprised by the space his attackers were given but he instead chose to focus on the quality of the strikes. Elisabeth Terland bagged yet another European goal and, alongside Frenchwoman Melvine Malard, put United in the box seat in the first half. The manager stated, “I don’t think Atlético simply gave us space — I think we created it. We managed the pitch well. When we’re back home on a quicker surface, we can be even more dangerous. We need to find those same spaces again next week and be just as ruthless.” Amazing away fans Skinner was then asked about the United away fans who sold out their allocation in Spain for the tie. He claimed, “they are the best. We always do it for them. You can see the players’ reactions when we score and hear their roar — it’s unlike anything else. We wanted to send them home with a fantastic victory. Safe travels, and get ready for Sunday — we’ll need you loud and proud again.” Skinner finished by stating, “we promised ourselves this year that if we match the fans’ energy and create that synergy, we can achieve something remarkable. We’re doing that. In tough times, we’ll need them. In the good times, let them celebrate — they deserve it.” United will next be in action on Sunday afternoon against London City Lionesses. Featured image Michael Campanella via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Alex Browne Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Alex has a Master’s degree from Queen’s University Belfast and La Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain. Having lived in the country since 2011, Alex is The Peoples Person’s Spanish football expert and is fluent in both Spanish and Catalan. He dreams of witnessing a United captain triumphantly hoisting the Premier League and Champions League trophy in the air once more.
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