HomeFootballSevilla 2-1 Manchester United: 5 things we learned |...

Sevilla 2-1 Manchester United: 5 things we learned | UEL 2019-20

- Advertisement -

Manchester United should have put away Sevilla at the start of the second half on Sunday night in Cologne. But their failure to take advantage of the multiple chances they created came back to haunt them at the end.

Sevilla came from a goal down to beat Manchester United 2-1 in the first semi-final of the Europa League and it left Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to ponder on what might have been in another semi-final defeat, a third, this season.

- Advertisement -

Bruno Fernandes scored from a penalty in the first half to give Manchester United the lead but Sevilla were on equal terms before half-time through a goal from former Liverpool winger, Suso.

Manchester United created a plethora of chances in the first 15 minutes of the second half but lacked the finishing. Luuk de Jong made them pay when he scored in the 78th minute to win the game for the Spanish side.

#1 Sevilla were more clinical in front of goal

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side had seven shots on target but scored only one. Sevilla had just three shots at David de Gea’s goal and managed to score two.

The Spanish side weathered the Manchester United storm at the start of the second half partly due to brilliant goalkeeping from Bono and also because the Manchester United strikers lacked the cutting edge on the night.

Manchester United should have been out of sight by the hour mark due to the number of chances they created but their profligacy in front of goal keep Sevilla in the same.

The Spanish side created just one opportunity in the second half and scored from that to knock the Premier League giants out of the competition.

#2 Individual errors cost Manchester United a place in the Europa League final

Manchester United’s defensive performances this season have improved but they remain prone to making individual mistakes that have hurt them more often than not.

Fred missed his runner in the first half that led to the cross from which Suso equalised for Sevilla. Both Brandon Williams and Harry Maguire could have done better to deal with the driven ball into the penalty box.

Luuk de Jong’s winner was a result of multiple errors. Brandon Williams should have closed the cross down, Aaron Wan-Bissaka didn’t go with De Jong inside the danger area and eventually, Victor Lindelof didn’t deal with the cross coming in.

Bruno Fernandes chastised the Swede after the goal for losing focus at a crucial stage.

At the other end, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood missed crucial opportunities to score. While Sevilla’s Bono made some very good saves, none of them can be termed as brilliant, which points towards errors in the Manchester United strikers’ finishing.

#3 The officiating was poor for a game of this magnitude

The German referee, Felix Brych, along with VAR had a poor game in Cologne on Sunday night.

Diego Carlos should have at least seen a yellow card for his challenge on Marcus Rashford that led to the penalty. The defender was late and the challenge could have seriously injured the Manchester United striker.

But he was never cautioned. The Brazilian was later booked for another bad challenge on Anthony in the first-half itself. There was a legitimate chance he could have been sent off even before the break.

The build-up to Sevilla’s first goal came from a throw-in, which should have been Manchester United’s. The ball came off Jules Kounde’s head before going out of play but the throw-in was awarded to Sevilla.

Apparently, it was checked by VAR later but the goal still stood. It was baffling both for the viewers watching and the Manchester United players on the pitch.

Brych was also guilty of breaking up play throughout the game and a lot of the 50-50 decisions went against Manchester United. It is safe to say he is unlikely to be the referee in the final after last night’s performance.

#4 Sevilla showed their experience on the big stage

The Sevilla side were three years older than the average age of Manchester United last night and it showed on the pitch. Julen Lopetegui’s side were more experienced and cuter than Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Red Devils.

Sevilla drew fouls out of Manchester United, got Brandon Williams yellow-carded early and their antics on the pitch visibly frustrated their younger opponents on the pitch in Cologne.

Manchester United did well to not get sucked into their antics and get a player sent off but it was clear that Sevilla’s antics were getting to them.

The game often threatened to boil over into a physical scrap and it seemed that it might not finish with 22 men left on the pitch.

#5 Third trophyless season in a row for Manchester United

The Europa League in 2017 was the last trophy Manchester United won. Since then, they lost an FA Cup final in 2018 and lost three semi-finals this year. The last time Manchester United didn’t win a trophy for three years was between 1987 and 1989.

Getting into the top four again and closing the gap with Liverpool and Manchester City will be Manchester United’s goal next season. But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will also be aware that he needs to win a trophy as well as he doesn’t want the albatross of another trophyless season.

The longer the run stretches the more pressure Manchester United plays will feel to break the duck. It seems unlikely that they will be legitimate contenders for the Premier League or the Champions League next season.

Expect Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to aim for the League Cup and the FA Cup to end the barren run.

Also Read: Did Arsenal need Willian or is it another Kia Joorabchian-influenced signing?

- Advertisement -

15 Highly Educated Cricketers Of All Time

Cricket is a game of passion and dedication. A sport in which one involves themselves in camps and practice since early childhood. Due to...

Do we often under-appreciate Andy Flower? What’s his legacy?

There's a hint of sadness in noting that Zimbabwe has never been a dominant power in world cricket. But nothing could be sadder than...

Why are more and more MotoGP riders using the Noson nasal dilator?

Introduction MotoGP riders or athletes are physically fit and healthy individuals and their muscles are continuously functioning and used during the performance. As a fan...

How Come UFC Fighters Have Cauliflower Ears But Boxers Don’t?

The UFC has come a long way since its early days, wherein the fights seemed like modern-day gladiators due to its brutality and inconsistent...

5 spinners who can be India’s potential finger-spinners

The Indian cricket team has always been proud of its ability to produce world-class batsmen and similarly potent spinners. Though in recent times, the...

IPL 2018: The beautiful Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

Being seated in the Sawai Mansingh stadium brings a different world, a world of difference away from the palpable excitement of watching truly India’s...

The astonishing decline of Mario Balotelli

There was a time when Mario Balotelli was on top of the world.  The Italian talisman had scored two goals in the Euro 2012 semi-finals,...

Top 5 Left Wingers In The World, Based On 2019-20 Season

Owing to the fact that football has evolved a lot since its inception and the tactics have changed a lot, the role of wingers...

What can be expected from the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?

Heat in the air and heat inside the car- that's been the story of the Azerbaijan Grand prix. As F1 parks itself at Baku...

How Suresh Raina Batted India Into The Finals of 2011 World Cup

Its been 9 years, since India won the Cricket World Cup defeating Sri Lanka on 2 April, 2011. The images and visuals of...

IPL 2018: The best from the West Indies

When one of nature's treacherous attacks on mankind- earthquakes- strike, their impact is measured on Richter's scale. When West Indians strike in a tournament...

Big change for India Women’s cricket as BCCI looks to finalise bowling coach soon

We are not even at the halfway stage of the 2018 cricketing season. It clearly seems there's no stopping India's women's cricket team. The...

Age Fraud in Indian Cricket: Are players really to be blamed?

There have been times while watching a cricket match when we tend to hear commentators comment on cricketers’ age. We as fans have many...

Ajax XI if they didn’t sell their star players

Based in Amsterdam, AFC Ajax, who incidentally draw their name from the legendary Greek hero of the same name, are the most successful club...

5 famous players to play for both Leeds United and Liverpool

Leeds United are back in the Premier League after 16 years and will play Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday in their very first match...

- Advertisement -

- Advertisement -