Cool Cavani guides Ole to the final
SO a European campaign that began for Manchester United in the Champions League group stage in Paris last October will end in the Europa League final in Gdansk on May 26.
It was never in any serious doubt after United seized a four-goal advantage at Old Trafford to take to the Stadio Olimpico.
But having gone even further ahead through Edinson Cavani last night, they threatened to fall apart in a wild second half that produced four more goals and needed some wonderful goalkeeping from David de Gea to stave off an unlikely comeback.
Cavani’s second goal of the night — and his seventh in six games — courtesy of the mercurial Bruno Fernandes could not prevent a defeat but it at least saw United win a semi-final under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the fifth attempt.
Solskjaer must now hope that United’s last trophy — the Europa League with victory in the final over Ajax under Jose Mourinho in 2017 — will also be their next.
Progress has been the watchword for the last two-and-a-half years, but the manager knows he needs trophies to validate his work. A man whose last piece of silverware was the Norwegian Cup at Molde in 2013 is now one game away from his first at United.
It was just as well they had such a commanding lead from the first leg because the postponement of Sunday’s game against Liverpool at Old Trafford amid violent protests meant this game was United’s first of four in eight days.
Solskjaer still went for a strong, attacking side. He kept eight of last week’s starting line-up which included giving Mason Greenwood his 100th appearance for the club at the age of 19 and Donny Van de Beek an opportunity.
Roma famously came back from a three-goal deficit against Barcelona in 2018, but eternal hope had run short in the Eternal City after that second-half spanking in Manchester.
Talk in the Italian capital this week has focused on Mourinho’s imminent arrival to replace Paulo Fonseca rather than any Europa League miracle.
With nothing to lose, Fonseca’s team were free to give it a shot last night and started very brightly.
United made inroads at the other end, however, and when Cavani scored in the 39th minute he could easily have been celebrating a hat-trick having gone close twice already.
Fernandes was again at the heart of the move, flicking Luke Shaw’s pass brilliantly into the path of Fred. The Brazilian guided it through for Cavani, who chose power over placement and Antonio Mirante couldn’t keep it out.
Solskjaer felt comfortable enough to replace both his full-backs at half-time, but it encouraged Roma to go for broke.
Edin Dzeko headed in from close-range in the 57th minute.
Another goal followed three minutes later after Lorenzo Pellegrini picked Fred’s pocket as he tried to be too clever on the edge of his own box and Bryan Cristante beat De Gea with an excellent shot.
The United keeper pulled off a double save from Dzeko and Pedro.
Cavani settled any nerves with a second goal. Roma won the game in the 83rd minute, but United were through.
Solskjaer lauded the performance of De Gea. ‘We kept giving them the ball, but luckily we have one of the best keepers in the world,’ said the United boss.
‘We are in the final and it feels good. We played one very good half at Old Trafford which has taken us through.’
ROMA (4-2-3-1): Mirante 6; Karsdorp 6, Smalling 6 (Darboe 30), Ibanez 7, Peres 7 (Santon 69); Cristante 7, Mancini 6; Pedro 7 (Zalewski 77), Pellegrini 8, Mkhitaryan 7; Dzeko 7 (Mayoral 77). Subs not used: Boer, Fuzato, Kumbulla, Bove, Ciervo. Booked: Karsdorp, Cristante. MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): De Gea 9; Wan-Bissaka 6 (Williams 46), Bailly 6, Maguire 6, Shaw 5 (Telles 46); Pogba 6 (Matic 64), Fred 6; Greenwood 6, Fernandes 8 (Mata 84), Van de Beek 6; Cavani 8 (Rashford 73). Subs not used: Grant, Henderson, Lindelof, Tuanzebe, McTominay, Diallo, Elanga. Booked: Wan-Bissaka, Fred, Cavani. Man of the match: David de Gea. Referee: Felix Brych (Germany).