‘Sometimes Man Utd are world class, others they’re average’ – RB Leipzig loanee Angelino confident against Red Devils

RB Leipzig won’t “have to hide” against Manchester United, according to Angelino, who thinks sometimes the Red Devils are “world class” but on other occasions they are “average”.

United returned to the Champions League after a one-season absence by finishing third in the Premier League. They have been rewarded with a tricky start against Leipzig, Paris Saint-Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir in Group H, which has been dubbed this year’s ‘group of death’.

Leipzig reached the semi-final stage last term only to be beaten 3-0 by PSG, who went on to lose 1-0 against Bayern Munich in the final.

Angelino played a key role in the German outfit’s run to the last four after joining the club on loan from Manchester City in January, with that agreement extended through to the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

The Spanish full-back is relishing the prospect of coming up against the Red Devils again, as he told RBLive when asked to discuss the club’s chances of progressing to the knockout stages.

“I don’t know that much about Basaksehir. We know Paris from the semi-finals in the tournament in Lisbon,” he said. “What I’ve seen from Manchester United so far: sometimes they’re world class, sometimes they’re average. We don’t have to hide.”

The 23-year-old began his professional career at Man City in 2014, having joined the club from Deportivo La Coruna the previous year. He had loan spells at New York City FC, Girona, Mallorca and NAC Breda before being sold to PSV in the summer of 2018, but City triggered the buy-back clause in his contract one year later.

Angelino made 12 appearances for City under Guardiola before making his way to Leipzig, and has since had the opportunity to play for another of Europe’s most revered coaches in Julian Nagelsmann.

The City loanee added on the similarities between the two managers and how he been trusted to fill an important role at Red Bull Arena: “Both are extremely concerned with football, know a lot, always think proactively and always have new ideas ready.

“We have known each other for a while [Me and Nagelsmann] and have been in contact before, when he was still a trainer in Hoffenheim. The coach trusts me.

“I can feel that and give it back with performance, and his style of play matches my qualities exactly.”