DE GEA’S HELPING HAND
Super Spaniard saves the day by shutting the door on Sevilla
No, it most certainly was not vintage Manchester United in Europe. Sevilla dominated, Sevilla should have won.
There were precious few chances and no away goal. They are vulnerable at old Trafford in the return. A 1-1 draw would see them out.
And yet, they soaked it up, came away with a draw and will fancy their chances at home. This was a good night for United, in many ways. A clean sheet, the beginning of the rehabilitation of Paul Pogba, who came on as a 17th-minute substitute and improved the team, another furiously energetic display from Alexis Sanchez.
This was never going to be the sort of game that the English club wins by four or five away goals. Sevilla are much better than that. These teams have won the last four Europa League finals, and Sevilla have three of them. They know what they are about at the European knock-out stages. Manchester United are comparative novices these days. They have won only one of their last six Champions League knock-out games and last visited this stage of the tournament when David Moyes was in charge. Louis van Gaal could not get them here, Moyes didn’t get a second chance, this is Jose Mourinho’s first.
He had a plan, no doubt of that, soaking up Sevilla’s pressure before introducing the pace of Marcus Rashford with 15 minutes to go and Anthony Martial soon after.
The problem was, by then, Sevilla had been allowed to dominate for too long. United could not get into the game. So it fell to a well-marshalled defence and the outstanding David de Gea to see them out of here safely. This he did, notably with an amazing reaction save from Luis Muriel, but also aided by some wanton finishing from Sevilla.
Pablo Sarabia headed over from close range after 74 minutes, Clement Lenglet should have done more with another header in the 64th minute, Joaquin Correa had several breakthroughs on the left without providing an adequate finish and referee Clement Turpin rose above a late moment of deviousness from Jesus Navas, trying to win a penalty against Pogba.
So it was a disappointing display from United, but certainly no disaster.
Mourinho, of all people, knows the value of nights like this. He just cannot afford another one like it when they meet again next month. Not if he is serious about going all the way.
It was former Manchester United midfielder Ray Wilkins who said before the game that Sevilla were a bottom-six Premier League team. How much he has seen of Sevilla, or how much respect he has for Brighton, who he reckons would be above them, cannot be gauged but he might not be fully across Spanish football if he thinks Sevilla are inferior. This was hard, hard work for Manchester United.
Sevilla had most of the ball and, by the end of the first half, the best of the chances, too. De Gea was, once again, magnificent in a way Thibaut Courtois was not required to be for Chelsea against Barcelona on Tuesday. Sevilla do not play Barcelona’s possession football but like any good La Liga side they are lively and inventive, impressive on the counter-attack and cavalier in committing men forward.
It is a sign of the times that three of the four full-backs on show last night, including both of Manchester United’s, were once flying wingers. Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young and Navas have all been reinvented as the modern game changes.
Sevilla also have a conventional wide presence in Correa and much of their best work comes through him. He set the template for Sevilla’s attacks after only four minutes by feeding the ball into striker Muriel, who forced a strong one-handed save from De Gea. Ever Banega tried his luck from 30 yards soon after and Navas had another go on 15 minutes, drifting inside and striking a low effort just wide.
While De Gea was being peppered, it took Manchester United 25 minutes to even have a shot — and what a disappointment when they did. Sanchez, very energetic, very quick to go to ground, very trying on the patience of the locals, played the most beautiful chip that picked out Romelu Lukaku in more space than any striker should be given in the box. He opted to take it first time when maybe he could have been patient, and skied it horribly.
Aside from a Scott McTominay shot on 38 minutes that goalkeeper Sergio Rico parried — constituting United’s only shot on target in the first half — that was the best of it from United. Sevilla, meanwhile, were far from done.
Valencia was having more aggravation with Correa than Mike Pence, and in the 28th minute he cut inside on the left but disappointed with his shot, which De Gea smothered comfortably.
Soon after, same again. Correa inside once more, this time going for accuracy rather than power, and an attempted side-foot finish which De Gea was equal to as his defenders struggled to recover.
Yet in time added on, Sevilla forged the best two chances of the half. A corner was only half cleared and centre-half Gabriel Mercado tried an unlikely overhead kick that Steven N’Zonzi tried to help on its way to goal, De Gea responding magnificently to tip his header over the bar.
Again the corner was not dispatched to safety, allowing N’Zonzi to recycle the ball, finding Muriel who had managed to lose his marker, and everybody else’s, and was in clear space, certain to score. What a save De Gea produced. If there is a better goalkeeper in the world right now, Wilkins probably hasn’t heard of him, and neither have the rest of us. SEVILLA (4-2-3-1): Sergio Rico; Jesus Navas, Mercado, Lenglet, Escudero; N’zonzi, Banega (Pizarro 89); Sarabia, Correa, Vazquez; Muriel (Sandro 84). Subs not used: Soria, Carrico, Ben Yedder, Nolito, Roque. Booked: N’zonzi. MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Lindelof, Young; Ander Herrera (Pogba 17), Matic; Sanchez (Rashford 75), McTominay, Mata (Martial 79); Lukaku. Subs not used: Romero, Bailly, Lingard, Darmian. Booked: Sanchez. Man of the match: David de Gea. Referee: Clement Turpin (France). Attendance: 39,725.