Sevilla-Man United: Montella out to stop Alexis Sánchez
Alexis Sánchez is Manchester United's chief threat, according to Sevilla coach Vincenzo Montella, who plans to get aggressive with him.
Vincenzo Montella joked that Sevilla's best hope of nullifying Alexis Sánchez on Wednesday will be to "kill" the Manchester United star.
Sevilla host United in their Champions League round of 16 first leg in a tie the Premier League side are favourites for.
The match will likely see Sánchez make his first appearance in the competition for United following his January move from Arsenal, and he appears to have settled in quickly.
Sánchez claimed an assist in United's 2-0 FA Cup defeat of Huddersfield Town on Saturday and has generally looked lively in the majority of his outings since leaving the Gunners.
"Maybe we could kill him or knock him down"
As such, Montella suggests Sevilla might have to cross the line in order to stop him at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.
"Maybe we could kill him or knock him down or something," Montella quipped in his pre-match news conference on Tuesday.
"I remember Sanchez really well from his time in Italy [with Udinese]. He has improved a lot his style in his career and he's a really good player in terms of the transitions and finding spaces, and has really good speed in attack."
Montella also spoke highly of United manager José Mourinho, labelling the Portuguese coach a "pioneer" who he admires.
"I don't know how many matches Mourinho has played in this competition," Montella added. "More than 100 I think, but we will be ready to play this match.
"I'm very excited because he was a pioneer in his way of working. I've read his books, I've studied his tactics. He's undoubtedly a coach you have to study.
"It's a challenge to beat Mourinho, but it is a pleasure to prepare for this type of game. I hope that tomorrow we will be better [than United]. I am happy with this moment for the club, for the players, for the fans."
Correa, Banega passed fit for United first leg
Sevilla did have injury concerns before training on Tuesday, but Joaquín Correa and Éver Banega have both been passed fit in two significant boosts for Montella.
"Correa is fine," Montella confirmed. "On Monday he did not finish training as a precaution, but today [Tuesday] he has completed it. He can play, as can Banega."