Manchester United fans have shared their telling verdicts after Marcel Sabitzer dropped a masterclass for Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.
Marcel Sabitzer spent the second half of last season on loan at Manchester United after the Red Devils brought him to Old Trafford from Bayern Munich.
Erik ten Hag identified Sabitzer as a short-term midfield option for his side after injury knocks to Christian Eriksen and Scott McTominay at the time.
Despite United’s initial deal not including an option to buy, reports later emerged that the Red Devils could sign the Austrian midfielder for £12.8m last summer.
Sabitzer made 18 appearances for the Red Devils in the 2022-23 season and scored three times and registered a single assist under United manager Erik ten Hag.
However, the 30-year-old ex-Bayern Munich midfielder’s spell at Old Trafford was hit with injuries, with United unwilling to sign him on a permanent basis.
Sabitzer, who lifted a Carabao Cup with United, returned to Bayern last summer after the end of his six-month loan spell at the Premier League club.
Sabitzer masterclass for Borussia Dortmund
Marcel Sabitzer’s return to Bayern Munich was short-lived after Borussia Dortmund snapped up the former Manchester United player from their German rivals.
The Austria international has made 33 appearances across all competitions for Borussia Dortmund this season and has scored five times and registered six assists.
Sabitzer showed his true class for the Bundesliga club with his stunning performance in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.
Dortmund had suffered a 2-1 defeat in the first leg at the Metropolitano Stadium earlier this month before welcoming Atletico Madrid to the Westfalenstadion.
Sabitzer played a key role in Dortmund’s comeback against Atletico Madrid and overturning the first-leg deficit with his stunning display in the return leg.
The Austria midfielder scored and registered two assists as Dortmund sealed a 4-2 win over Atletico and punched their ticket to the Champions League semi-finals.
United loanee Jadon Sancho started the key Champions League tie and was replaced late in the second half for Salih Ozcan after an impressive display on the night.
Sabitzer failed to capitalise on an early chance in the Champions League tie, but the Dortmund midfielder more than made up for it with his performance overall.
Man Utd fans react to Sabitzer’s performance
United fans on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, wasted no time in expressing their disappointment in not signing Sabitzer last summer.
One Red Devils supporter said it was “all on” Ten Hag for not snapping up Sabitzer, while another questioned the need to sign Sofyan Amrabat instead of him.
“This Marcel Sabitzer fella looks handy. The kind of midfielder Manchester United could do with,” one fan said.
Another commented: “Could’ve had Sabitzer for £15m, but we signed Mason Mount for £55m and Amrabat on loan.”
A third added: “We really should have kept Sabitzer, extremely underrated and fully cooking in a [Champions League] quarter-final.”
“Ten Hag turned down Sabitzer for £10m and signed Amrabat on loan for £8.6m. This is all on him,” someone else tweeted.
While a fifth posted: “We could have kept Sabitzer, but noooo [sic], we went and spent on arm and a leg on Mount.”
A sixth wrote: “Probably letting Sabitzer [leave] and keeping [Christian] Eriksen or signing Amrabat was a mistake. Sabitzer is a proper, proper midfielder.”
Somebody else said: “Sabitzer [was] man of the match again this evening! [Man United] should have kept him! Just didn’t give him long enough time to settle in!”
