Erik ten Hag says Manchester United are "close to hitting the mark" in their bid for a top-four finish, praising Casemiro's performance in the win over Bournemouth.
United won 1-0 over the Cherries on Saturday afternoon to take a decisive step towards securing their spot in next season's Champions League.
Liverpool's late equalizer against Aston Villa means the top four are still alive, but United need just one point from their last two games against Chelsea and Fulham to hit their target.
United found the breakthrough goal in the ninth minute when Casemiro netted with a superb header.
The Brazilian caught Christian Eriksen's pass just in the air after a Bournemouth defender kicked home with an overhead kick. "I think he always surprises us, Casemiro, he's an excellent footballer... He's just a great footballer," ten Hag said of the Brazil international after the match.
He continued:
"It was a great goal from Casemiro, an excellent finish. I was worried at 1-0 because you can easily make mistakes and concede. We have to win the game.
FBL-ENG-PR-BOURNEMOUTH-MAN UTD
The Brazilian player launched a super shot to put the ball into the net (Photo:
Getty)
“We are almost there – in the top four – but we are not there. We need a win.
With Marcus Rashford out due to illness, United were unable to close the gap as David de Gea was forced to make a crucial save six minutes into the game - winning the Premier League Golden Glove after being left empty-handed. one more game.
"The only criticism is that we didn't kill the game, we had to score the second, but this team is like that. It's not easy to score," said ten Hag.
"It was a great goal from Casemiro. We pressed them, didn't let them breathe for the first 25 minutes. "David de Gea made a mistake a couple of weeks ago, but anyone can make mistakes. We defended with 11 men, that's why we kept clean sheets so many times. David had some good plays. excellent save.
"I don't care what happens at Liverpool, it's about us. We have to work.
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