Manchester United interim boss: Villarreal win was for Solskjaer

The Red Devils secured a Champions League group spot with a win in Spain on Tuesday.

Interim Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has dedicated his team's win over Villarreal to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the Norwegian's departure.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho scored the first three points under Carrick, who replaced the recently sacked Solskjaer, with a goal in their 2-0 victory in Spain.

Manchester United have advanced to the Champions League round of 16 as their first win in their last four games and the new coach admits that the past few days have not been good for the club.

"I told the players that the last few days have not been easy for everyone at the club, I can really enjoy this result, but it feels like this win is for Ole and I can't escape it," Carrick told reporters after the game. said.

"We had work to complete. I was happy to do it and thankfully it turned out well. It's all about planning."

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire told BT Sport: "Something huge has happened this season.

The last few months have not been good enough and we needed a win for our fans. This is just the beginning, we'll keep going."

"The first half was tough and tense. It was important to stay in the game and I think the players from the bench really helped us move forward and the second half performance was really good."