Mourinho explains why he slammed water bottles in Man Utd win

Joe Williams

Jose Mourinho slammed water bottles into the ground in an expression of “relief” after Manchester United snatched a last-gasp winner to reach the Champions League last 16 – an opportunity the manager used to remind “lovers” of his enviable continental record.

Young Boys looked set to frustrate, and perhaps even embarrass, the Old Trafford giants on home soil on Tuesday, displaying composure, confidence and camaraderie sorely lacking in their opponents.

But, not for the first time this season, Mourinho’s men dug deep and scored a late winner, with Marouane Fellaini turning home to secure a 1-0 victory and progress to the Champions League round of 16 with a match to spare.

The United manager kicked a water bottle carrier and threw another into the ground in celebration at a goal that means they head to Valencia next month with progress assured after the Spaniards lost at Juventus on Tuesday.

“Relief,” Mourinho said of his celebrations. “Frustration before that and relief with the goal.

“I think we didn’t play for that, we didn’t play for 0-0. We didn’t play to be in trouble until the last minute, so frustration.

“I was not unhappy with the players. Not at all.

“Frustrated with the fact that we couldn’t score, yes, but my players were very tired at the end and that’s what I love – I want them to be very tired.

“It means that they give everything, and they did that, with moments of very good football, moments of quality, moments of hypothetical beautiful goals and then also with moments of pressure, moments of lack of confidence, that frustrate us.

“But, in the end, we score.

“I have to reunite the goal we scored with David De Gea’s save. I think without David’s save, no winning goal.

“But, in the end, we qualify in a very difficult group with one match in hand, suffering a lot, but we did it.”