Manchester United Knocked Out of Europa League
Manchester United had their dreams of making it to the finals of a competition and maybe finishing their 2019/2020 campaign with a trophy shattered for the third time following a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Sevilla.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side made the perfect start to the game when Bruno Fernandes put United ahead nine minutes into the game from the spot in what would be United’s 22nd spot kick in all campaigns this season, the highest number of penalties recorded by any club this season.
United maintained the lead for most part of the first half till Sevilla got back into the game with a well convertrd goal by former Liverpool forward, Suso just before half time.
United had a host of chances after the break but found Sevilla goalkeeper Bono in superb form and soon got punished for their disappointing lack of technicality in front of goal and an equally porous defense when substitution De Jong finished sent the ball De Gea after Wan-Bissaka and Lindelöf slumbered to give the Spanish side the winning goal with 10 minutes left of play.
The defence error which led to the second goal weighed in on the already frustrated Manchester United players and soon a confrontation ensued between Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes and his teammate Victor Lindelof
The red devils were easliy the better side in the match, but they couldn’t find their way back into the game and left the pitch red faced with their heads hanging low at the sound of the final whistle.
Having already lost to city rivals, Manchester City in the last four of the Coraboa Cup in January and to Chelsea in last month’s FA cup semi-final at Wembley, United are now the first team to ever lose both domestic cup semi-finals and European semi-final in the same season.
Defeat against Sevilla also means the Red Devils finish without a major trophy for a third season in a row – their longest run since four successive seasons without a major trophy between 1985 and 1989, 31 years.
Sevilla have now won 25 of their last 26 Europa League knockout ties and will be hoping to win the competition for a sixth time when they face Inter Milan or Shakhtar Donetsk in Friday’s final.
