Listless United pay the price
EUROPA LEAGUE Wholesale changes by Mourinho cost Red Devils dear as they lose to Feyenoord
ROTTERDAM: Jose Mourinho’s reluctant return to the Europa League ended in embarrassment as Tonny Vilhena fired Feyenoord to a 1-0 win over Manchester United in their Group A opener on Thursday.
For a man with a keen eye on his position in the football hierarchy, competing in the Europa League for the first time in 13 years was an unappetising prospect for Mourinho and his players seemed equally uninspired as a much-changed United lineup succumbed to Vilhena’s late strike at De Kuip.
It was United’s second consecutive defeat after Saturday’s painful loss to bitter rivals Manchester City in the Premier League and Mourinho will hope his decision to make eight changes against Feyenoord is rewarded with victory when they return to domestic action at Watford on Sunday.
“Some of the players were playing their first minutes of the season. Obviously some played better than others,” Mourinho said.
“I don’t want to personalise it. I cannot judge them only on one game. We were pushing and Feyenoord capitalised because it is exactly at that moment where we lose the game. We were double unlucky because it’s a clear offside.”
Twice a Champions League winner with Porto and Inter Milan, Mourinho is usually launching his latest bid for Europe’s top prize at this time of year.
With Wayne Rooney rested and only David de Gea, Paul Pogba and Eric Bailly retained from the side beaten by City, it was little surprise to see United deliver a disjointed performance.
Careless with their passing and lacking a cutting edge up front, United — also reluctantly in the Europa League group stages for the first time — were unconvincing for long periods. INTER BEATEN Meanwhile, three-time European champions Inter Milan were stunned 2-0 at home by Israeli side Hapoel Beer-Sheva.
AS Roma were held to a 1-1 draw at Viktoria Plzen, while fellow Italians Sassuolo, who are making their European debut, enjoyed a 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.