I doubt there are many Manchester United fans who would honestly tell you they’ve enjoyed much, if anything, about the team’s fortunes in the Premier League this season. Sitting 14th after 28 games has made for some difficult days for both fans and players alike.
However, in the Europa League, it’s been a different story. The evening began with an element of anxiety for the fans, with the tie all square at 1-1 from the first leg. But it ended up being a very positive night as United ran out 4-1 winners on the night and 5-2 on aggregate.
It was a busy night for the referee, who had to deal with a total of five goals, three penalties, and one red card. Credit must be given to Manchester United, who could have easily spiraled after an early penalty awarded to Sociedad put the home side on the back foot. But minutes later, United had a penalty of their own. Bruno Fernandes stepped up in the 16th minute and dispatched it with ease. From that point onward, it was a much more positive night for United.
50 minutes in, another penalty was awarded to United. Again, Bruno Fernandes stepped up and calmly slotted it home. I heard some say, “The man loves a penalty,” but to be fair, you still have to step up and put it away.
United controlled the game from that moment on, and Sociedad never looked like getting back into it. The game was effectively sealed in the 63rd minute when Jon Aramburu of Sociedad was shown a red card for denying a goal-scoring opportunity with a foul on Patrick Drogu.
In the 87th minute, Bruno Fernandes completed his hat-trick with a tidy finish into the bottom left corner after a lovely pass from Antony Garnacho.
The final nail in the coffin for Sociedad came in stoppage time, when Diogo Dalot added a another after some great play from Rasmus Højlund, who provided the assist. Game over – United are through to the quarter-finals, where they’ll face Lyon.
The Europa League has certainly offered Manchester United and their fans welcome relief from the struggles in the Premier League. In my opinion, based on what I saw this evening, there’s no reason they can’t win the competition. But it will depend on whether they can find some consistency—a challenge we’ll have to wait and see if they can overcome.
I’d love to hear from United fans in the community hub or in the comments here: Can you win it?