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Roberto De Zerbi Explains Unusual Reaction to Rodrigo Bentancur's Red Card Against Manchester United
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- Roberto De Zerbi Explains Unusual Reaction to Rodrigo Bentancur's Red Card Against Manchester United
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur played out a 1-1 draw as the Red Devils failed to capitalize on Rodrigo Bentancur's red card in the second half.
After Bryan Mbeumo gave United the lead in the 73rd minute, Bentancur got involved in a confrontation with Luke Shaw, during which the Uruguayan thrust his head toward the United defender. Players from both sides quickly got involved, forcing referee Stuart Attwell to stop play before sending Bentancur off. Shaw was also shown a yellow card for his involvement in the incident.
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With this result, Michael Carrick's side has fallen to 12th in the Premier League standings, while Spurs have moved up to 18th after starting the match at the bottom of the table.
Rodrigo Bentancur of Tottenham Hotspur walks off the pitch after being shown a red card.Alex Livesey / Getty Images
Following the game, Roberto De Zerbi told the media that his team had shown character while also addressing the red card.
"Today has been the game where for the first time this season, we showed we are a team," De Zerbi said.
"We played for our team-mates, we played together, we believed until the end of the game. We attacked as a team, we defended as a team, and with the right behaviour."
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Roberto De Zerbi Reacts to Rodrigo Bentancur's Red Card
De Zerbi, who rallied Tottenham last season after the club faced the threat of relegation, revealed a rather unexpected reaction to Bentancur's sending-off.
"I kissed Rodrigo Bentancur inside the dressing room, and I said thanks." he said.
De Zerbi explained that his team responded well to the setback, eventually leading to Dominic Solanke's late equalizer.
"It was not the right reaction in football, but how Tottenham reacted, I think, in that moment, with 10 players, maybe we played with more courage, we played with more energy, and we changed the game."
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Oct 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the Soccer section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
