Sevilla wrecked Manchester United’s hopes of ending the season with silverware as they edged a hard-fought Europa League semi-final in Cologne.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side misplaced their third semi-final this season regardless of taking the lead when Bruno Fernandes scored their 22nd penalty of the season after Marcus Rashford was fouled by Diego Carlos.
Sevilla, Europa League specialists, equalised earlier than the interval when former Liverpool ahead Suso swept a end previous David de Gea on the far publish.
United’s destiny was sealed after they missed a succession of possibilities early within the second half as Sevilla keeper Yassine Bounou emerged because the hero, denying Anthony Martial a number of occasions.
And Sevilla, who noticed off Wolves within the quarter-final, secured their place within the final when Luuk de Jong swept dwelling a cross from Jesus Navas with 12 minutes left, United punished for poor defending which led to recriminations as Fernandes confronted Victor Lindelof within the aftermath.
Profligate Man Utd pay the value
Manchester United’s lengthy season got here to a bitterly disappointing conclusion as they missed out on the prospect to raise their first trophy since they received this event below Jose Mourinho greater than three years in the past.
They usually have solely themselves to blame for an absence of killer intuition in entrance of aim, particularly in that opening part of the second half when Bounou denied them, particularly Martial, however United merely had to take a kind of possibilities.
It left Sevilla within the sport and, as this gifted side have proved earlier than, they’re consultants at discovering a manner to win within the Europa League.
And so it proved with De Jong’s late aim, helped by terrible United defending as they switched off from Navas’ cross, with Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bissaka culpable.
United couldn’t reply as they appeared heavy legged, Solskjaer ready till late on earlier than introducing a raft of possibilities extra in hope than expectation.
Man Utd triple failure exhibits flaws
Manchester United rescued their season within the second half of the marketing campaign, fuelled by the signing of Fernandes, however shedding three semi-finals in a single time period is a poor effort.
Solskjaer’s season has completed respectability with a third-placed end within the Premier League however weaknesses had been uncovered by the loss to Manchester Metropolis within the EFL Cup semi-final, Chelsea within the FA Cup and now this defeat by Sevilla.
It can little question strengthen Solskjaer’s hand as he calls for high-class additions within the switch window however does nothing to disguise the frustration or the truth that, when the strain was actually on within the large cup video games this season, they failed to ship.
Man of the match – Yassine Bounou
Match stats
- Sevilla have reached their sixth Uefa Cup/Europa League final, no less than two greater than another side.
- Manchester United have now been eradicated from European competitors by Spanish opposition for the third consecutive marketing campaign.
- Sevilla are actually unbeaten in 20 video games, simply the fourth totally different side inside Europe’s prime 5 leagues this season to get pleasure from such a run (additionally Bayern Munich, Paris St-Germain and Actual Madrid).
- Together with each their quarter-final victory over FC Copenhagen and their match with Sevilla, Manchester United had 46 pictures, with 21 hitting the goal – nevertheless, the Pink Devils have managed simply two targets from the penalty spot in these matches with a conversion charge of 4.4%.
- Manchester United have been awarded 22 penalties in all competitions this season, probably the most by a side in a single marketing campaign inside Europe’s prime 5 leagues since Barcelona in 2015-16 (24).
- Since his Manchester United debut on 1 February, solely Robert Lewandowski (28) and Lionel Messi (27) have had a direct hand in additional targets in all competitions than Bruno Fernandes (20 – 12 targets, eight assists) inside Europe’s prime 5 leagues.
- Bruno Fernandes has scored 100% of the 14 penalties he has taken in all competitions this season, netting six for Sporting Lisbon.
