Manchester United smashed Real Sociedad 4-1 to progress to the quarter finals of the Europa League after an outstanding performance from Ruben Amorim’s men.
Real Sociedad started the better of the two teams as United looked rather nervous in possession and made a couple of questionable passes that thankfully led to nothing.
In the opening minutes, Ayden Heaven made a confident start on his first ever senior start, cutting the ball out well and playing a couple of nice passes.
Disaster struck for the home side when Real Sociedad got in behind and a ball was played across goal and Matthijs de Ligt took down Mikel Oyarzabal. After a prolonged VAR check, a penalty was given which stunned the home fans.
The Old Trafford crowd was far from impressed as they felt for the second time in the tie that the Basques got the rub of the green on a penalty decision.
After ten minutes Oyarzabal made no mistake as he calmly slotted home and sent Andre Onana the wrong way.
United responded and just two minutes later, the ball was worked to Alejandro Garnacho on the right hand side who cut infield and unleashed a powerful shot that was right at the Sociedad keeper.
One minute later, Casemiro played a great ball to Bruno Fernandes who fired the ball across the area and Rasmus Hojlund was brought down by the Basque defender. Penalty United.
The United captain stood up and slotted home the penalty as he always seems to do to give the home side the perfect reaction.
The Red Devils kept up the pressure and Fernandes crossed in a delicious ball for Hojlund who missed it and the keeper punched clear. The ball finally broke to Casemiro who flashed a shot from outside the box wide.
After 23 minutes Patrick Dorgu was released down the left hand side by Joshua Zirkzee and he lofted in a ball that found Garnacho, who finally got a shot off that was blocked for a corner.
Moments later, United switched off for a short corner and Takefusa Kubo unleashed an effort but it was well caught by Onana to keep the scores level.
On the half hour mark, fantastic work down the left by Zirkzee resulted in a ball across goal that Hojlund hit first time, but the ball just skipped agonisingly wide of the far post to the dismay of the Stretford End.
United kept up the intensity and on 40 minutes Garnacho got in behind, but his cross was turned away for another corner.
Fernandes spread the ball out wide for Dorgu who volleyed onto the roof of the net as the home side pushed for their second goal of the evening in front of the Stretford End.
The Red Devils won a free kick on 42 minutes. Fernandes spotted the keeper off his line but got his effort spectacularly wrong as he fired well over and spurned a good opportunity to apply pressure to the Real Sociedad defence.
United broke again when Fernandes poked the ball through to the marauding Dorgu, who ran with pace at the Spanish defence but he fired a tame effort right down the throat of the visitors’ keeper.
Ruben Amorim’s side continued to push and two great balls by Casemiro were mis-controlled at exactly the wrong time by first Fernandes and then Zirkzee.
As the added time in the first half reached the fourth minute, Sociedad won a corner and the ball broke to Pablo Marín whose fierce strike was kept down well but fortunately Onana was equal to it.
The half-time whistle blew with both teams none the wiser as to who would be progressing to the quarter-final stage.
The Red Devils started the second half brightly and great play between Fernandes, Hojlund and Zirkzee resulted in a shot from the Dutchman that was well saved by the Sociedad keeper. The ball broke to Dorgu, who turned away from the oncoming defender and drew the foul. A penalty was given.
Fernandes stepped up after a delay and once again sent Alex Remiro the wrong way to give United their first lead of the match.
United really had their tails up and a brilliant ball down the left by Heaven was well won by Dorgu, who ran toward the Sociedad box but his cross was well cut out by the Spanish keeper.
Amorim’s side continued to look energetic and Garnacho intercepted a sideways pass by Remiro but could bot square the ball to an unmarked Hojlund in the box.
United got exactly what they would have wanted when more great work resulted in Zirkzee playing a beautiful ball through to Dorgu who was about to break through one-on-one with the Remiro but he was hauled down by Jon Aramburu. The referee had no choice to show the red card and United had 30 minutes of normal time left with a man advantage.
On 69 minutes, United pushed forward and the ball was worked into the box and fell to Hojlund, but the goal-shy striker hesitated and dragged his shot wide of the goal.
The game passed by quite calmly from a United perspective as they showed good game management to keep the 10 men Basques away from their goal. Fernandes won the ball and unleashed a fierce shot, looking for his hat-trick, but it was well held by Remiro.
On 81 minutes Zirkzee produced a moment of magic on the left hand side as he spun away from the Spanish defence and after good link up play once more with Fernandes, he fired a shot at goal that was pushed away by the Sociedad keeper. Mazraoui retrieved the ball and showed off his own skill, nutmegging the defender before picking out the Dutchman at the back post, but he could only head wide.
On 84 minutes, United were incredibly awarded their third penalty, the fourth of the match and fifth of the tie when the energetic Dorgu was fouled in the box for a second time. However, after a check it was chalked off, with Dorgu appearing to tell the referee it was not a penalty.
United finally killed off the tie shortly after on a lightning quick break when the lively Garnacho broke at the Spanish defence and played a beautiful ball to Fernandes who did the rest and slotted away his third goal of the night. It was his first European hat-trick for United.
The home side got a well-deserved fourth when Rasmus Hojlund’s great work all night was rewarded with an assist. He picked out an unmarked Diogo Dalot who fired into the roof of the net. 4-1 United and Old Trafford was rocking.
The match came to an end and United fans went home happy, safe in the knowledge they have secured European quarter-final action once again against Olympique Lyonnais.
Starting XI: Onana, Heaven, Mazaraoui, De Ligt, Dalot, Dorgu, Fernandes, Casemiro, Zirkzee, Garnacho, Hojlund
Subs: Collyer, Eriksen
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
