The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho shows his emotion after his side booked their place in the Europa League final last night. A 1-1 draw with Celta Vigo in a tense semi-final at Old Trafford sent them through 2-1 on aggregate.
Mourinho’s men book showdown with Ajax
Manchester United will have the chance to add the Europa League to their trophy cabinet after edging through a frantic, tempestuous semi-final second leg against Celta Vigo at Old Trafford.
After 14 matches that have taken Jose Mourinho’s men to Holland, Turkey, Ukraine, France, Russia, Belgium and Spain, the long, arduous continental campaign has brought a shot at glory.
Reaching the May 24 finale was far from straightforward, though, as Marouane Fellaini’s first-half header was cancelled out by Facundo Roncaglia five minutes from the end.
The drama did not end there as Celta’s goalscorer and Eric Bailly were sent off as tempers frayed, with United holding out for a 1-1 draw that saw them reach the Stockholm final 2-1 on aggregate.
The relief was as clear as the joy at the final whistle as United moved within a victory of the only major trophy to have eluded them in their success-laden history.
Europa League glory also offers Champions League qualification – now United’s best chance of returning to Europe’s top table given their Premier League struggles – but Ajax are likely to prove as stern a test as Celta.
Few could have foreseen such a nervy ending when Fellaini headed home Marcus Rashford’s fine cross, but Celta’s efforts were rewarded by a late goal from Roncaglia to set up a frantic finish.
Former Manchester City striker John Guidetti wasted a gilt-edged chance to turn the tie around entirely with the last kick of the game, but United now have the chance to add the Europa League to this season’s Community Shield and EFL Cup triumphs.
Ajax stand in their way after they held on for a 5-4 aggregate win over Lyon in France last night to secure a place in their first European final for 21 years.
The Dutch side, who played the final six minutes with 10 men, lost 3-1 last night, despite taking the lead through 19-year-old Dane Kasper Dolberg.
Alexandre Lacazette led the Lyon fightback with two in 79 seconds on the stroke of half-time and Rachid Ghezzal’s header resulted in a nail-biting finish.