Van Gaal has played down talk that the heated rivalry between Liverpool and United adds extra significance to a two-legged tie that begins with a match at Anfield on Thursday, saying Sunday’s 1-0 Premier League defeat at West Bromwich Albion was just as significant to him.
“Several people are thinking that they (Liverpool) are the enemy,” Van Gaal said. “I am not thinking like that. I am thinking that they are the opponent. We want to beat the opponent.
“For the fans, it’s a bigger something, but for me, no. I want to win every game. When we win against West Bromwich Albion, I’m very pleased. When we lose, and we have lost, I am very disappointed.
“I want to win every game and we prepare ourselves to beat the opponent. It does not depend on whether we play Liverpool or West Bromwich Albion, who we lost to.
“It is also a big disappointment for us that we lost against West Bromwich Albion. When we win against Liverpool, I am very happy, but not more happy than if we had beaten West Bromwich Albion.”
United would qualify for next season’s Champions League if they won the Europa League and that represents a significant opportunity to regain a place in top European competition.
Their hopes of doing so by finishing in the Premier League’s top four are in the balance, as they lie sixth in the table.
Chris Smalling, a member of the United team who failed to qualify for the Champions League two seasons ago, does not want to fall short again.
“We’ve still got a lot of games to play in the league, and we have another route in the Europa League to make sure that doesn’t happen again,” the defender said.
“We’re all striving forward and looking forward to make sure that doesn’t happen for a second time.”
Support InfoStride News' Credible Journalism: Only credible journalism can guarantee a fair, accountable and transparent society, including democracy and government. It involves a lot of efforts and money. We need your support. Click here to Donate