Sevilla coach Jose Luis Mendilibar made a subtle jab at Manchester United, admitting that he did not expect beating United to be this easy, following the Spanish side’s Europa League triumph over the Red Devils. United fell to a 3-0 defeat at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan, bowing out of the competition after losing 5-2 on aggregate.
With a number of self-inflicted miseries, Manchester United’s Europa League season came to an embarrassing end last night. However, many would point out that United lost this quarterfinal at Old Trafford in the first leg, when despite having a 2-0 lead and flurry of chances to kill the tie, they gave up two late own goals, which cost them a win and an advantage.
Sevilla manager offers brutal take on Manchester United’s performance
Sevilla manager Mendilibar was not shocked that his team won, especially after drawing in the first leg on a day when they were not at their best. The draw where they made a comeback from two goals down provided them the confidence that they could win in the second leg. Mendilibar praised his team’s intensity in a post-match press conference, but also acknowledged that the victory was easier than expected. According to the Spaniard:
“This is a team that’s used to greater things. We came from an awkward situation in Manchester, where we drew 2-2 without doing things right, and people believed that we could do it. In the end we did it. It’s surprising for us to win a game against Manchester United without struggling and with such forcefulness, it’s not easy.
“I think the squad should be very pleased with how they played these 90 minutes. I think we were better than Manchester United. I think they (his players) believed in themselves and they looked good on the field. I think they did more than just score goals. I think the players deserved this.”
Manchester United lacked fluency and understanding among their players, with Ten Hag’s team squandering possession and presenting no attacking threat. The only chances they had in an indifferent 45 minutes were a weak shot from Wan-Bissaka that was struck straight at Sevilla keeper Bono and a header from Casemiro that went over the bar.
Sevilla scored again five minutes before the interval, this time through Lucas Ocampos, but the goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR review. United came in only a goal down at halftime, but a change was needed, and it came in the shape of Shaw and Rashford for Wan-Bissaka and Jadon Sancho. Nonetheless, United fell behind 2-0 just two minutes after the restart, with Ivan Rakitic’s corner met by Loic Bade, the ball bouncing off his shoulder and in off the underside of the bar.
United had no chance after that, with De Gea making another terrible error late on, failing to control the ball beyond his area and allowing En-Nesyri to steer it into the empty net for 3-0. If there is one saving grace for United, it is that they are still on track to qualify for the Champions League by finishing in the top four in the Premier League.