Manchester United took on Tottenham Hotspur in the final of the Europa League in Bilbao, aiming to bring some silverware back to Old Trafford.
Andre Onana started in goal with Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire at the back. Leny Yoro recovered from injury to take his place beside them in the back three.
Noussair Mazraoui and Patrick Dorgu were the wing backs with Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes starting as the midfield two.
Mason Mount was given the nod after his heroics in the semi-final and Amad played alongside him in the other ten position. Rasmus Hojlund was once again chosen as the striker.
Here are five things we learnt from the match.
United’s incredible ability to shoot themselves in the foot strikes again
The Red Devils had the lion’s share of possession in the first half and arguably had the better half-chances in a tight 45 minutes.
Spurs had a few free kicks and corners but had rarely threatened before United managed to shoot themselves in the foot once more.
Luke Shaw failed to deal with a cross into the box and the ball dropped to Brennan Johnson who poked in the opener for Tottenham.
Onana also did not cover himself in glory as his positioning was questionable once more, failing to keep out the tame effort.
The goal out of nothing automatically undid any good work United had done and they entered half-time trailing due to a moment of madness.
No number nine threat despite possession
Rasmus Hojlund once again proved why he should not be leading the line for Manchester United after a non-existent half of football.
The Dane had barely any touches of the ball and was basically a non-factor for the majority of the first half.
When the ball did get in his sphere of influence, he failed to gamble and didn’t get anywhere near any of Amad’s drives across goal.
To be fair, he did almost grab an equaliser in the second half but his looping header was well cleared off the line by the Spurs’ defence.
It is scarcely believable that a Manchester United side can play a European final with such little threat upfront.
Ruben Amorim’s side have been linked to numerous strikers in the summer and once more, on the biggest stage, there was significant evidence that Hojlund is not up to task.
Shaw’s future further in doubt?
United would have been hoping Shaw’s return from injury would provide much needed experience and guidance at the back for the back nine of the season.
Sadly, he has shown nothing of his former self and once again failed when his side needed him most.
He was badly at fault for Spurs’ opener and made frequent misjudgements throughout the match.
The England international was sluggish when marking and poor on the ball, as he very much threw his future at the club in doubt with his latest dismal showing.
Old heads fail to show
To win the final, United needed their most experienced heads to show and unfortunately, they went into hiding.
Casemiro has so often been the hero in the Europa League this season but when his team needed him, he struggled to have much influence on the match.
Bruno Fernandes cut a frustrated figure all game and failed to make the difference in the final third as he so often does.
Harry Maguire was also nervy at times and was once again shown up by 19 year old Leny Yoro in the composure stakes.
Amorim needs a fantastic start to next season
The cup final defeat brings a bitter end to a horrible season for the Red Devils. They will face Aston Villa on Sunday with nothing to play for except avoiding finishing 17th in the table.
Amorim would have gained significant breathing space with a victory but now United fans will be desperate for instant improvement next season.
He will have all pre-season to try and whip his team into shape. Nonetheless, with no European football next year, he will have to be more creative in his summer recruitment with a reduced budget.
United fans across the world will be praying for significant improvement or the side will face the very real prospect of losing another head coach.
Featured image Michael Steele via Getty Images
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Alex Browne
Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Proud owner of such niche shirts such as Kleberson, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Gary Neville. Grew up pretending to be Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the back garden, with little success.
