The Blacks Cats head to Old Trafford in good form, having registered a draw with Manchester City and two hugely impressive wins over Chelsea and Cardiff City. As a result, this fixture is a potential banana skin for the Reds and could upset any plans to finish the season strongly.
During an exclusive interview with Saturday’s edition of United Review, Kagawa was optimistic. “Sunderland have been in really good form recently," he noted. "It is impressive that they got a win and a draw from away games against Chelsea and Manchester City, which are both extremely tough matches.
“They are in good form despite their position and, as they are fighting for their lives, we know they will give everything they have got for another good result today. We must get ready for that. We know that it is always tough to play against teams who have such a clear cause.
“The Norwich match was not easy, either, but we made life easier by scoring the first goal and going on from there. It is important to score the first goal today, too. If we can get the first goal at an early time, we can play on smoothly. The atmosphere at Old Trafford when we score the first goal always provides a big boost for the players.”
The match also evokes memories of January’s Capital One Cup penalty shootout defeat, a loss that Kagawa is keen to avenge. "The manner of that defeat – losing on penalties at Old Trafford - was simply not acceptable. It is a must to win this time, and I will try my best to make that happen."
Source: ManUtd Official "Kagawa confident of success"
