Manchester United would have felt hard done by when they were held to a 1-1 draw at Real Sociedad in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League round of 16 clash.
While Man United may have had just 45% possession, they took 13 shots and were the dominant side on the attack for most of the encounter.
Arguably one of their biggest attacking assets on the night was winger Alejandro Garnacho.
The Argentine was a constant threat in the box, taking two shots on target while firing another two shots off target.
His two inaccurate attempts happened to be pretty close in reality, landing up in the side netting after he unleashed his shots from tight angles. He also had one shot blocked.
When it came to controlling the ball with his feet, the Argentine’s game was flawless.
Garnacho enjoyed 100% passing accuracy, with all of his passes finding their targets.
He also produced two key passes – one of which was an all-important assist.
Upon receiving a pass from Diogo Dalot in the 57th minute, Garnacho surged up the right flank, cutting the ball back to Joshua Zirkzee who was in the middle of the park. Zirkzee struck a superb one-time shot into the net to hand United the lead.
Garnacho’s one shortcoming was his physicality. He won just one of five duels the entire evening. He also never attempted any dribbles.
Largely absent in defence due to his advanced role, Garnacho was not an easy player for Sociedad to beat. He was only dribbled past on two occasions.
Despite his shooting being all over the place, Garnacho’s vision and passing ability were at their peak. He proved just how creative he can be when given the chance, proving to be an exciting prospect who United fans will surely be eager to keep an eye on when their team host the Spaniards at Old Trafford in the second leg.
(Stats via Sofascore)
Featured image Juan Manuel Serrano Arce via Getty Images
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Mathew Cohen
A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.
