Sevilla stun wasteful Manchester United to reach Europa League final
ByTNT Sports
Updated 16/08/2020 at 22:39 GMT+1
Europa League semi-final, RheinEnergieStadion - Sevilla 2 (Suso 26', De Jong 78') Manchester United 1 (Fernandes 9' pen.)
Fernando of Seville celebrates at full time during the UEFA Europa League Semi Final between Sevilla and Manchester United at RheinEnergieStadion
Image credit: Getty Images
Manchester United threw away a one-goal lead to crash out of the Europa League as substitute Luuk de Jong scored a late winner to send Sevilla through 2-1 to Friday's final.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side made the breakthrough from the penalty spot in the ninth minute after Marcus Rashford was fouled by Diego Carlos, with Bruno Fernandes scoring his 12th goal for the club since his transfer in January.
Their advantage lasted barely 15 minutes, however, with Suso - once of Liverpool - restoring parity with a fine finish at the back post from the impressive Sergio Reguilon's cross, beating David De Gea, who was given the nod ahead of Sergio Romero.
United should have been out of sight in a blistering ten-minute spell in the second-half as they created a number of chances only to find Yassine Bounou in inspired form. The Sevilla goalkeeper denied Mason Greenwood at point-blank range and then saved three Anthony Martial efforts.
And then Sevilla stunned Solskjaer's men with a goal in the 78th-minute. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Victor Lindelof switched off as Munir delivered a ball across the face of goal with de Jong poking home unmarked, leaving United players to argue and blame each other.
There was no way back for United as despite registering 20 shots on the night compared to Sevilla's nine, they crash out at the last-four stage for the third time this season after suffering similar fate against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup and Chelsea in the FA Cup.
Five-time winners Sevilla, meanwhile, will meet either Inter or Shakhtar in Friday's final.
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TALKING POINT - Wasteful United made to rue missed opportunities
They started the night as the only English club left in European competition this season, but Manchester United were simply not ruthless enough to do the nation proud on another frustrating night for Solskjaer. Three times this season he has now watched his side crash out at this stage of a competition.
The controversial inclusion of De Gea ahead of Romero was the pre-match talking point, but United's toothless strikers and clumsy defenders will dominate Monday's headlines. Sevilla's goalkeeper Bounou had a blinder, but there can be no excuses for the chances United missed tonight - or how they failed to defend Sevilla's second goal. It may be hailed as a successful season at Old Trafford, but they are now on their longest spell without a trophy in over 30 years.
MAN OF THE MATCH - Yassine Bounou (Sevilla)
Sergio Reguilon is a candidate for yet another explosive performance from left-back, but Sevilla's goalkeeper was the standout player, producing a string of saves to frustrate Martial and Co.
PLAYER RATINGS
Sevilla: Bounou 8, Navas 7, Kounde 7, Carlos 6, Reguilon 8, Fernando 7, Jordan 7, Banega 7, Ocampos 7, Suso 7, En-Nesyri 6.. subs: Munir 7, Gudelj N/A, De Jong 7, Vazquez N/A.
Man Utd: De Gea 6, Wan-Bissaka 5, Lindelof 5, Maguire 5, Williams 5, Fred 6, Pogba 6, Greenwood 6, Fernandes 7, Rashford 6, Martial 6.. subs: Fosu-Mensah N/A, James N/A, Mata N/A, Ighalo N/A.
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Suso Fernández (Sevilla)
Image credit: Getty Images
KEY MOMENTS
7' - PENALTY TO UNITED! Martial slips it through to Rashford who sees his shot brilliantly saved by Bounou but he's caught by Carlos in the process and the referee points to the spot!
9' - GOAL! Sevilla 0-1 Man United (Fernandes, pen): A little jump from Fernandes in the run-up and he coolly steps up to bury the penalty into the roof of the net. It's his 12th goal of the season. What a start for United.
26' - GOAL! Sevilla 1-1 Man United (Suso): Suso, the former Liverpool man, restores parity to complete a wonderfully worked move. It stems from the left where the tireless Reguilon plays a pass and keeps on running. He gets it back from Ocampos and finds Suso at the back post where he squeezes it past De Gea with a lovely finish.
76' GOAL! Sevilla 2-1 Man Utd (de Jong): United switch off; Sevilla are ahead! Terrible defending as Williams allows Munir's cross to be delivered and Lindelof and Wan-Bissaka remain flat footed as the unmarked De Jong pokes home!
KEY STATS
- Including both their quarter-final victory over FC København and their match with Sevilla tonight, Manchester United had 46 shots, with 21 hitting the target; however, the Red Devils managed just two goals from the penalty spot in those matches.
- Sevilla have reached their sixth UEFA Cup/Europa League final, at least two more times than any other side in the history of the competition.
- Since his Man United debut in February, only Robert Lewandowski (28) and Lionel Messi (27) have had a hand in more goals in all competitions than Bruno Fernandes within Europe's top five leagues (20 - 12 goals, 8 assists), the same as Kai Havertz and Cristiano Ronaldo.
- Manchester United have now been awarded 22 penalties in all competitions this season, the most a team within Europe’s top 5 leagues has had in single campaign since Barcelona in 2015-16 (24).
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