In what can only be described as a heartbreaking turn of events for Manchester United fans, the Red Devils fell short in their Europa League quarter-final clash against Sevilla. With a chance to secure a spot in the semi-finals, United committed some fatal errors that ultimately cost them the match.
In the first leg at Old Trafford, United’s hopes were dealt a heavy blow as they conceded two own goals in the dying moments of the game. Despite salvaging a 2-2 draw, their fate hung in the balance ahead of their visit to Sevilla.
Unfortunately for United, things only got worse in the second leg. The Spanish side dominated the match, with Youssef En-Nesyri proving to be their star player at the 8th and the 81st minutes. The striker took advantage of United’s mistakes, particularly those made by defender Harry Maguire and goalkeeper David de Gea.
The first goal came after De Gea passed the ball to Maguire, who appeared to panic when he saw three Sevilla attackers approaching. His attempt to pass the ball back to the keeper was intercepted by Erik Lamela, who set up En-Nesyri for the goal.
Loic Bade scored the second goal just two minutes into the second half after the VAR ruled out Sevilla’s goal for offside before half time.
The second mistake that sealed United’s fate occurred when De Gea left his box and failed to pass the ball properly to Maguire. En-Nesyri seized the opportunity to curl a shot around the stranded goalkeeper and score his second goal of the night.
Despite United’s best efforts, they were unable to mount a comeback and Sevilla advanced to the semi-finals with a convincing 3-0 victory. With Juventus waiting in the wings, the Spanish side will surely be a tough opponent for whoever they face next. As for United, they will have to regroup and come back stronger next season.
This is how the other fixtures ended:
Roma 4 – 1 Feyenoord ( 4 – 2 )
Sporting 1 – 1 Juventus (1- 2)
Royal Union 1 – 4 Leverkusen ( 1 – 6)
Sam Oduor is the editor-in-chief at the Western Kenya Times who leverages the power of the Internet in telling stories that shape opinions.