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Player Ratings: Sevilla beat United 2-1; Fernandes did not give up; Lindelof not good enough

16 August 2020 by

Manchester United were beaten 2-1 by Sevilla in the semi-final of the UEFA Europa League. United took the lead in the game after Marcus Rashford won a penalty which Bruno Fernandes scored. Sevilla equalised through Suso 17 minutes later. United looked lively at times but poor finishing cost them after they had many attacking chances on the bounce at the start of the second half, then looked tired. Luuk de Jong scored what turned into the winner in the 78th minute with United running empty.

United started well on the attack, aiming to find an early goal. In the seventh minute of the match United won a penalty after Anthony Martial flicked the ball further into the box with Marcus Rashford running through and his shot being saved. However, an off the ball foul on Rashford happened with a penalty being awarded, United’s 22nd of the season, Bruno Fernandes took the spot kick, putting United 1-0 up in the ninth minute of the match, scoring his 12th goal for the club this season.

In the 26th minute of the match, Sevilla equalised through Suso which had been coming with both teams attacking fluidly throughout the match so far. Lucas Ocampos slipped a great pass into Sergio Reguilon with Aaron Wan-Bissaka a yard behind with the ball being played to Suso who waiting to tap home at the near post. It was an unfortunate goal for United and they were going to need to do a lot more the get the win in this game, with a place in the final up for grabs.

It was 1-1 at the break with United still trying to find the goal to put them in the lead again. Rashford was lively for the reminder of the half but Sevilla were countering everything that United did, trying to fins the goal to put them ahead in the game also. Solskjaer would need to look at his tactics going into the break to try and find a way for United to nullify certain players for Sevilla which could be the key to winning the game. United have seemingly done everything right so far.

From the very start of the second half, United were the team going to try and take the match by the scruff of the neck, searching for that goal to put them ahead once again. The Sevilla goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou was impressive in stoping United from taking the lead for the second time in the match. United had more of the attacking in the first ten minutes of the half. The match the. started to level with end to end football. Rashford was booked for dissent in the 66th minute of the match.

Luuk de Jong took the lead for Sevilla in the 78th minute of the match with United’s defence sleeping and Victor Lindelof running towards the ball, stopping then seemingly blaming Fernandes. In the 87th minute, Solskjaer made a triple substitution with Tim Fosu-Mensah, Daniel James and Juan Mata replacing Brandon Williams, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Rashford. Six minutes of added time was to be played at the end of the match with United running out of time to find an equaliser. United were beaten and their season, which started a year ago, is now over.

Manchester United

1 David De Gea

Conceded two goals with both down to poor defending at fullback and with Lindelof not doing his job for the second. He will be disappointed.

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29 Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Needs to find some improvement at fullback as he has seemed sleepy, especially for both Sevilla goals. Solskjaer will not be impressed with the right-back. He was replaced by James in the 87th minute.

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2 Victor Lindelof

Started the game in good stead but for Sevilla's second goal, he ran towards the ball, stopped and seemed to blame Fernandes. Poor defensively when it matters in this match.

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5 Harry Maguire

Will be disappointed after playing a lot of football this season. The defeat is not ideal but has happened. The defence has improved this season but was poor in this match. Time for a break then getting ready for the new season.

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33 Brandon Williams

Dug deep against Sevilla and did some good work on the ball, getting forward a lot. He was replaced by Fosu-Mensah in the 87th minute. Williams did not hold his head down once.

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17 Fred

Had a good game playing as the holding midfielder against Sevilla. Covered plenty of the pitch and tried to push United forward.

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11 Mason Greenwood

One of the stars of the match and could have been the difference in the game on more than one occasion. He will not like the taste of defeat but at least United did not rely on winning this competition to get Champions League football.

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18 Bruno Fernandes

Scored his 12th goal of the season for United, scoring the clubs 22nd penalty. It was also his 49th goal contribution in 50 matches this season, for both United and Sporting. This guy is a class act.

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6 Paul Pogba

Had a better match against Sevilla and seemed more ready to play with the ball at his feet. Lost the ball at times but it was an end to end game much of the time.

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10 Marcus Rashford

Needed to do better after his last few matches and did just that. Won United a penalty in the seventh minute of the match which Fernandes scored in the ninth minute. Was one of the players looking to put United forward from the start of the second half, pushing for that win. Booked for dissent in the 66th minute for bouncing the ball in frustration. He was replaced by Mata in the 87th minute.

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9 Anthony Martial

Looked lively early in the match but United seemed to be poor at taking their chances. United had a good period of play to find a second goal but it never came.

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Substitutes

8 Juan Mata

Replaced Rashford 87'. Made little impact after coming on late in the game.

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Player Ratings: Sevilla beat United 2-1; Fernandes did not give up; Lindelof not good enough

Replaced Wan-Bissaka 87'. Had chances to help get United level but did not take the risk. This is where he needs to improve, a lot.

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Player Ratings: Sevilla beat United 2-1; Fernandes did not give up; Lindelof not good enough

Replaced Williams 87'. Provided cover at left-back with United's depth in the position lacking. Did what he needed to do.

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Player Ratings: Sevilla beat United 2-1; Fernandes did not give up; Lindelof not good enough

Replaced Greenwood 90+3'. Came on at the death with United having three minutes

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Goals: Suso 26′, Luuk de Jong 78′; Bruno Fernandes 9′ (penalty)

Assists: Sergio Reguilon 26′, Jesus Navas 78′

Manchester United: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka (James 87′), Lindelof, Maguire, Williams (Fosu-Mensah 87′); Fred; Greenwood (Ighalo 90+3′), Fernandes, Pogba, Rashford (Mata 87′); Martial

Substitutes Not Used: Romero, Grant; Bailly, Mengi; Lingard, Pereira, Matic, McTominay

Bookings: Diego Santos Silva 21′, Munir 86′; Brandon Williams 17′, Marcus Rashford 66′, Harry Maguire 86′

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, Match Reports, Opinion, Player Ratings Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Confirmed XI: De Gea, Lindelof and Fred start against Sevilla; Europa League final or bust

16 August 2020 by

Manchester United have reached the semi-final stage of the UEFA Europa League this season and will face Spanish side Sevilla at the RheinEnergieSTADION in Cologne on Sunday evening. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will be seeking to get the better of Julen Lopetegui’s side, who have done well this season and have beaten both AS Roma and Wolverhampton Wanderers in their last matches in the competition. United will have a tough match on their hands.

United and Sevilla have met twice in European competition, playing in the round of 16 stage of the UEFA Champions League during the 2017/18 season, in which they qualified for the completion by lifting the Europa League at the end of the 2016/17 season, beating Ajax 2-0 in the final. It was a 0-0 draw at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán in Sevilla followed by a 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford, Manchester, which resulted in United exiting from the competition. United will need to do much better.

Both United and Sevilla have good records in the UEFA Europa League with the Spanish club winning the competition five times in the past 15 years, winning back to back titles on the 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons then winning three in a row in the 2013/14, 2014/15, and 2015/16 seasons. Sevilla have made the semi-final stage five times, winning all of them and all five finals. United have reached one semi-final and final, winning both in the 2016/17 season. One of the club will lose their 100% record on Sunday evening in Cologne.

Manchester United:

De Gea;

Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Williams;

Fred;

Greenwood, Fernandes, Pogba, Rashford;

Martial

Substitutes:

Romero, Grant; Bailly, Fosu-Mensah, Mengi; Mata, Lingard, Pereira, James, Matic, McTominay; Ighalo

Sevilla:

Bounou;

Navas, Kounde, Carlos, Reguilon;

Banega, Fernando, Jordan;

Suso, En-Nesyri, Ocampos

Substitutes:

Vaclik, Sanchez, Gomez, Munir, Gudelj, Escudero, de Jong, Torres, Vazquez, Alonso, Genaro, Perez

United and Sevilla have met twice before, playing in the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League in the 2017/18 season. On the 21 February 2018, it was a 0-0 draw in Seville with United failing to score an away goal, which was bad news for Jose Mourinho’s side. Three weeks later at Old Trafford, the Spanish side won 2-1 with Wassim Ben Yedder scoring a brace in the 74th and 78th minute with Romelu Lukaku scoring a consolation goal in the 84th minute of the match, exiting the competition.

Sevilla have played many times against English opposition; beating Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this week. They have faced Liverpool, Manchester City, and Leicester City in the past five years and further back have faced Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Middlesbrough and Bolton Wanderers. United have played many teams from Spain including Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia, Celta Vigo, Real Sociedad, and Athletic Club in the past decade with a few more clubs from Spain going back further in time.

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, News, Opinion, Starting XI Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Predicted XI: [4-2-3-1] Martial, Rashford, Fernandes and Greenwood to start against Sevilla

15 August 2020 by

Manchester United have reached the semi-final stage of the UEFA Europa League this season and will face Spanish side Sevilla at the RheinEnergieSTADION in Cologne on Sunday evening. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will be seeking to get the better of Julen Lopetegui’s side, who have done well this season and have beaten both AS Roma and Wolverhampton Wanderers in their last matches in the competition. United will have a tough match on their hands.

United and Sevilla have met twice in European competition, playing in the round of 16 stage of the UEFA Champions League during the 2017/18 season, in which they qualified for the completion by lifting the Europa League at the end of the 2016/17 season, beating Ajax 2-0 in the final. It was a 0-0 draw at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán in Sevilla followed by a 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford, Manchester, which resulted in United exiting from the competition. United will need to do much better.

Both United and Sevilla have good records in the UEFA Europa League with the Spanish club winning the competition five times in the past 15 years, winning back to back titles on the 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons then winning three in a row in the 2013/14, 2014/15, and 2015/16 seasons. Sevilla have made the semi-final stage five times, winning all of them and all five finals. United have reached one semi-final and final, winning both in the 2016/17 season. One of the club will lose their 100% record on Sunday evening in Cologne.

How United have faired against Sevilla and other Spanish opposition in European competition.

United and Sevilla have met twice before, playing in the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League in the 2017/18 season. On the 21 February 2018, it was a 0-0 draw in Seville with United failing to score an away goal, which was bad news for Jose Mourinho’s side. Three weeks later at Old Trafford, the Spanish side won 2-1 with Wassim Ben Yedder scoring a brace in the 74th and 78th minute with Romelu Lukaku scoring a consolation goal in the 84th minute of the match, exiting the competition.

Sevilla have played many times against English opposition; beating Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this week. They have faced Liverpool, Manchester City, and Leicester City in the past five years and further back have faced Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Middlesbrough and Bolton Wanderers. United have played many teams from Spain including Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia, Celta Vigo, Real Sociedad, and Athletic Club in the past decade with a few more clubs from Spain going back further in time.

Here is my predicted starting XI to face Sevilla in the UEFA Europa League semi-final at the RheinEnergieSTADION in Cologne on Sunday evening…

Goalkeeper: Sergio Romero

I believe that Sergio Romero should keep his place in the team for the remainder of United’s season, whether their participation in the Europa League ends against Sevilla, or they reach the final of the competition this summer. The Argentinian has done well when he has been called upon this season, with 12 clean sheets and five conceded goals in 17 appearances, which have all been in the cup competitions this season. David De Gea has made 42 appearances, all 38 in the Premier League with the remaining four in the Carabao Cup (two) and the Emirates FA Cup and Europa League (one in each) but he has conceded 42 goals, keeping 15 clean sheets. In Romero we trust – he has done this before and could do it again.

Defenders: Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Brandon Williams

United’s defence will need to be on top of their game against Sevilla. Eric Bailly started against Copenhagen with Victor Lindelof coming on later in the match. The Swede should be starting, partnering Harry Maguire in the semi-final of the Europa League with both Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Brandon Williams in the fullback positions, giving United extra width on the attack. Wan-Bissaka has his defensive position nailed on this season and has, along with the addition of Maguire, helped to solve a problem. Going forward though, the English defender will need to provide more going forward. He has four assists, all in the Premier League this season and should be looking to add to that either during the remainder of this season and definitely next season.

Midfield: Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic

Against FC Copenhagen, Solskjaer started Fred and Paul Pogba together in the centre of midfield. Personally, I do not think it was the best partnership and later in the match, Nemanja Matic was brought on to do the job that he needed to do. This season, the duo of Matic and Pogba is the best option that United have right now. Against Sevilla, it will be important that United have more control of the midfield and I feel that playing Fred from the start will not do that – which is nothing against the Brazilian but he’s a squad player – nothing more right now. Late in the match, Fred might work but from the start, Pogba and Matic would be the best partnership based on what they have done in the latter stages of the season. Pogba needs to stand up as another leader in the pack, with a trophy close to United’s grasp.

Attacking Midfield: Mason Greenwood, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford

In the three positions behind the striker, United have been dangerous over the course of the season. Mason Greenwood has scored 17 goals, assisting five more, Bruno Fernandes has scored 12 goals and eight assists with Marcus Rashford on 22 goals and 10 assists. This season, Fernandes has played 49 matches, scored 26 goals and 22 assists (for both Sporting and United), meaning that he has been involved in 48 goals in 49 matches, which is not a bad statistic. At this moment in time though, Rashford is the weakest link in this trio as he has not scored in his last three matches, scoring and assisting against Crystal Palace close to the end of the domestic season. Rashford will know what he has to do.

Striker: Anthony Martial

Anthony Martial has scored 23 goals and 12 assists this season, which is his best season at United in the five years that he has played for the club. It is fair to say that the Frenchman is in form at this stage of the season but that he could be more ruthless in front of goal. Obviously, things come in stages and his improvement this season has been easy to see and he could continue that next season, bringing in his ruthless streak which could make him one of the best attacking players in the league. Martial will be seeking to score more goals this season, impressing his manager and his teammates, and of course the clubs supporters.

Substitutes: David De Gea; Eric Bailly, Tim Fosu-Mensah, Teden Mengi; Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, Andreas Pereira, Fred, Daniel James, James Garner, Scott McTominay; Odion Ighalo

With five substitutes allowed for the remainder of this competition, Solskjaer will have plenty of options should he need them against Sevilla. I expect David De Gea to remain on the bench once again. In defence, Eric Bailly, Tim Fosu-Mensah and Teden Mengi could be called upon should they be needed. In midfield, where Solskjaer has a lot of depth, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, Andreas Pereira, Fred, Daniel James, James Garner and Scott McTominay should be available. In attack, with Tahith Chong’s loan spell seemingly getting closer, Odion Ighalo might be the only attacking player available.

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, Opinion, Starting XI Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Preview: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United need to squash Sevilla for Europa League final place

14 August 2020 by

Sevilla -v- Manchester United

UEFA Europa League

RheinEnergieSTADION, Cologne, Germany

Sunday 16 August 2020, KO 20:00 BST

Referee: Felix Brych Assistants: Mark Borsch, Stefan Lupp 

Fourth Official: Daniel Siebert

VAR: Bastian Dankert Assistant VAR: Marco Fritz

Manchester United have reached the semi-final stage of the UEFA Europa League this season and will face Spanish side Sevilla at the RheinEnergieSTADION in Cologne on Sunday evening. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will be seeking to get the better of Julen Lopetegui’s side, who have done well this season and have beaten both AS Roma and Wolverhampton Wanderers in their last matches in the competition. United will have a tough match on their hands.

United and Sevilla have met twice in European competition, playing in the round of 16 stage of the UEFA Champions League during the 2017/18 season, in which they qualified for the completion by lifting the Europa League at the end of the 2016/17 season, beating Ajax 2-0 in the final. It was a 0-0 draw at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán in Sevilla followed by a 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford, Manchester, which resulted in United exiting from the competition. United will need to do much better.

Both United and Sevilla have good records in the UEFA Europa League with the Spanish club winning the competition five times in the past 15 years, winning back to back titles on the 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons then winning three in a row in the 2013/14, 2014/15, and 2015/16 seasons. Sevilla have made the semi-final stage five times, winning all of them and all five finals. United have reached one semi-final and final, winning both in the 2016/17 season. One of the club will lose their 100% record on Sunday evening in Cologne.

Form: United and Sevilla are both in good form; Sevilla are on a 19-match unbeaten run with United defeated just once in 24 matches.

Manchester United: WWDLWD

FC Copenhagen 1-0 W, Linzer ASK 2-1 W, Leicester City 2-0 W, West Ham United 1-1 D, Chelsea 3-1 L, Crystal Palace 2-0 W

Sevilla: WWWDWW

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 W, AS Roma 2-0 W, Valencia 1-0 W, Real Sociedad 0-0 D, Mallorca 2-0 W, Athletic Club 2-1 W

Top Scorers: Sevilla have scored 71 goals this season with Anthony Martial (23), Marcus Rashford (22) and Mason Greenwood (17) scoring 62 goals between them. United to outscore their opposition?

Manchester United Goals: 23 – Anthony Martial, 22 – Marcus Rashford, 17 – Mason Greenwood, 11 – Bruno Fernandes, 5 – Odion Ighalo, Scott McTominay, 4 – Daniel James, Jesse Lingard, 3 – Harry Maguire, Juan Mata, 2 – Fred, Own Goal, Andreas Pereira, 1 – Diogo Dalot, Phil Jones, Victor Lindelof, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Luke Shaw, Brandon Williams, Ashley Young

United have 90 minutes of football standing between them and a second UEFA Europa League final in three years. The club has one defeat in their last 24 matches, which is a great record for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and United and they will be seeking to extend that to one defeat in 25 matches. Normally playing in a 4-2-3-1 formation, United will need to get the better of this Sevilla side from the start of the match to get revenge for that last match, which was a completely different United team, but revenge will still be needed. United should go all out to win.

Sevilla Goals: 15 – Lucas Ocampos, 10 – Munir El Haddadi, 6 – Luuk de Jong, Youssef En-Nesyri, 5 – Franco Vázquez, 4 – Óliver Torres, 3 – Éver Banega, Sergio Reguilón, Munas Dabbur, Nolito, Javier Hernández, 2 – Fernando, Joan Jordán, Diego Carlos, 1 – Bryan Gil, Suso, Sergio Escudero, Jules Koundé

Sevilla are unbeaten in their last 19 matches and seem to be hitting form at the right time, which could see them reach the final of the UEFA Europa League this season, should they beat United. Sevilla showed patience in breaking down Wolves earlier this week, scoring very late in the game and taking the spoils. United waited late against Copenhagen too. Sevilla play in a 4-3-3 formation, which United will have to break with Éver Banega one of the players that they need to shut down.

Team News: United and Sevilla ready for battle on Sunday evening? Three injuries for United, none for Sevilla. Solskjaer to reign supreme in Cologne?

United look set to continue without Phil Jones, Luke Shaw and Axel Tuanzebe for the match against Sevilla and do not seem to have suffered any more injuries from the 1-0 victory over FC Copenhagen on Monday, which is good news. Assistant manager Mike Phelan speaking to the official Manchester United website about this match against Seville being like a proper European fixture, said:

“Yes, it sounds European! [Smiles] We know how Sevilla operate, they’re a very good outfit with very good technical players and great possession of the ball which they showed against Wolves in the last game. They’re a team to be reckoned with, both in their own domestic league and in Europe but particularly in this cup, they have some history in it. I think it’s two football teams going head-to-head in what could be a really good semi-final.”

Sevilla do not seem to have any injury or suspension concerns ahead of the semi-final of the UEFA Europa League when they take on United on Sunday evening. They will be looking forward to the match and a possible sixth final in the competition, which would be a great achievement for them. Speaking about United and how well they have done domestically this season to the official UEFA Europa League website, Sevilla manager Julen Lopetegui said:

“[United haven’t] lost a Premier League game since January, so they’re obviously a top team with great strength, but these are the semi-finals of the Europa League, and the only thing that will help us through any difficulty or situation that we come across at this high level is ambition, excitement and the desire to compete, with the aim of overcoming a great opponent. We’re all delighted with the team’s work, discipline, responsibility and ambition throughout the year. That’s how we want to be.”

Predicted Starting XI: Solskjaer to hit Sevilla with his strongest team, hoping to play to their advantages and knock the Spanish side from the competition ensuring no European trophies head to Spain this year.

Against FC Copenhagen, Solskjaer did not put out his strongest outfield team, opting for Fred instead of Nemanja Matic, presumably keeping the Serbian as fresh as he could for the semi-final and beyond. The Norwegian got the better of his compatriot Ståle Solbakken on Monday evening, needing extra time to get the better of the Danish opposition. United will need to be firing on all cylinders to beat this Spanish side who seem to be full of confidence.

Match Prediction: United did not do too well against Sevilla the last time they met enduring a lacklustre 0-0 draw followed by a 2-1 defeat. United will be seeking revenge and a place in the Europa League final.

United and Sevilla have met twice before, playing in the round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League in the 2017/18 season. On the 21 February 2018, it was a 0-0 draw in Seville with United failing to score an away goal, which was bad news for Jose Mourinho’s side. Three weeks later at Old Trafford, the Spanish side won 2-1 with Wassim Ben Yedder scoring a brace in the 74th and 78th minute with Romelu Lukaku scoring a consolation goal in the 84th minute of the match, exiting the competition.

Sevilla have played many times against English opposition; beating Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this week. They have faced Liverpool, Manchester City, and Leicester City in the past five years and further back have faced Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Middlesbrough and Bolton Wanderers. United have played many teams from Spain including Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia, Celta Vigo, Real Sociedad, and Athletic Club in the past decade with a few more clubs from Spain going back further in time.

Sevilla 1-2 Manchester United

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, Match Previews, News, Opinion Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Player Ratings: United reach the semi-finals of the Europa League with Fernandes’ penalty knocking out Copenhagen

10 August 2020 by

Manchester United beat FC Copenhagen 1-0 to reach the UEFA Europa League semi-final where they will face either Wolverhampton Wanderers or Sevilla. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side required extra time to get the victory in this match with the Danish side doing well. The goalkeeper has a magnificent game. Anthony Martial won a penalty in the 94th minute which Bruno Fernandes converted to win the game for United. It was a hot evening on Cologne and United will be pleased they are through.

Copenhagen started well in this quarter-final, pushing United and nearly breaking through a few times with United defending shoddily at times. United then started to get into the game, sending the ball into the Danish sides half, pushing to find an opener. It seemed strange at a point when the referee gave a penalty, seemingly for nothing, which turned into an offside. Towards the end of the half, Mason Greenwood found the back of the net, ricocheting off the far post and in but was ruled offside by VAR.

United scored a second goal in the game around 12 minutes into the second half. Greenwood fired goal wards hitting the post and rebounding only for Marcus Rashford to slot home but the flag was raised and United had a goal removed for the second time in the match. Solskjaer’s side will need to keep pushing for the victory, which is going to be a fight for them. It could be the best thing that happens though as it will be clear that United need some reinforcement this summer.

United had a few chances on goal as the Danish side seemed to tire late into the game. Bruno Fernandes struck the post with a sublime strike which saw him start to lead in the match. Copenhagen then started to push to get back into the game, pushing United into their own half and seeking to find a goal, which was not forthcoming. With about 16 minutes remaining, Rashford was down after a challenge, seemingly needing treatment but he was back on his feet in no time.

In the 85th minute of the game, Anthony Martial had the chance to get United ahead but saw his effort saved by Karl-Johan Johnsson after Brandon Williams spun the ball into the Frenchman. 25-yards out, Martial looked to fire his shot into the top-right corner with the Swede making a diving save to deny the United forward from breaking the deadlock. It seemed to be one of those matches for United, hitting the post and seeing efforts saved in this quarter-final match.

It ended 0-0 with extra time to decide the victor from this game. Copenhagen did well to defend against United with many not expecting the showing that they saw from the talented Danish side. They have a few players to keep an eye on; Victor Nelsson, a central defender and Jonas Wind, a forward – they both played well and with both being 21, have good futures ahead of them. Rasmus Falk played well too and seems to be a decent player but is 28. Johnsson, the goalkeeper was magnificent too.

Solskjaer made a third change with Juan Mata replacing Greenwood before extra time. Four minutes into the first 15 minutes of extra time, United won a penalty after Martial was taken out in the box. He firstly had the chance to score, then getting back into the box and was fouled. The referee gave the penalty with VAR giving it too. Fernandes took the spot kick, putting United 1-0 up at this late stage of the game. United now need to keep their heads and grind this result.

At the end of the first period of extra time, United were pushing to a second goal with Juan Mata having an effort and Victor Lindelof hitting the rebound. United seemed to find the energy to keep going despite making just tree substitutions in the game so far. Johnsson has been immense in goal for the Danish side and should keep his head held high after the performance he put in for his team. They were perhaps not too far behind United in the 90 minutes and should be proud of that.

Solskjaer made a fourth change in the 113th minute with Jesse Lingard replacing Rashford, still with United needing a second goal to close the game. United were still 1-0 up but with only one goal in it, an equaliser could have sent the game to penalties. With a matter of minutes remaining for United, the Danish side were pushing to get an equaliser, seemingly fighting to get involved and get forward. So far, United were doing all they needed to stay ahead.

United gave away a free-kick with just over a minute of extra time remaining, before stoppages. It was a nervy moment for United, who weathered the set-piece with Lingard running forward with the ball and deflecting the danger before losing the ball. Copenhagen then tried to get forward again, searching for the equaliser. United still did all they could to keep a clean sheet with one added minute of time at the end. Solskjaer made a fifth change with Scott McTominay replacing Martial.

Manchester United

Player Ratings: United reach the semi-finals of the Europa League with Fernandes’ penalty knocking out Copenhagen

The first 20 minutes of the match was dire for United with the Danish side pressing to open the scoring. United held form and recovered.

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29 Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Played well at right-back and got forward a lot of the time. However, his passes and crosses were not always to a teammate and in the final minutes of the match, he played the ball across the face of the goal with nobody there for United.

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3 Eric Bailly

Seemed rusty at the start of the game with United's defence being pressured by the Danes. Got back into the game and seemed strong at the back, at times. Was booked in the second half and therefore replaced by Lindelof in the 70th minute.

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5 Harry Maguire

Captained the team well but was booked in the second half, minutes before Bailly, who was replaced.

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33 Brandon Williams

Did what he needed to do in the left-back position and god forward a lot of the time, also showing his ability with the ball at times.

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17 Fred

Did well in midfield at times with Pogba even though neither were playing as a defensive minded midfielder. Seemed to make a few passing mistakes, perhaps why Matic replaced Jim in the 70th minute.

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6 Paul Pogba

Added some class to the midfield against the Danish side. I'm not sure Fred is good enough to partner him. United were much better with Matic and Pogba in midfield.

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11 Mason Greenwood

Had the only goal of the first half, but was ruled offside. He was heavily involved in the game and going into extra time, probably did not have enough left to get stuck in for United.

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18 Bruno Fernandes

Ran the show against Copenhagen and hit a sublime finish which came off the post. United won a penalty in the first half ox extra time, Fernandes took the spot kick, putting United 1-0 up.

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10 Marcus Rashford

Rashford has not been the same player late into the season as he was before the coronavirus pandemic hit. However, he did find the back of the net but was ruled offside. Despite some good glimpses, Rashford was replaced by Lingard in the 113th minute of the match.

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9 Anthony Martial

Continued to be in the same form in this game although luck was not with him today. He could have scored a few goals but never gave up, kept his head up and continued to drive forward. Weaved into the box looking to open the scoring but was denied. Won a penalty four minutes into the first period of extra time with Fernandes putting United 1-0 up.

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Substitutes

31 Nemanja Matic

Replaced Fred 70'. Came on to do a defensive job in midfield and did just that. He's a great player to have in the squad. Was perhaps on the bench tonight to keep him fresh for the next game, keeping him much fitter despite the six day rest before the next match.

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2 Victor Lindelof

Replaced Bailly 70'. With Bailly and Maguire both on a yellow, the Swede was needed to keep United's defence strong - no sendings off. Did his job and nearly scored United's second goal.

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8 Juan Mata

Replaced Greenwood 90'. Came on at the start of extra time. Got involved immediately as United won a penalty and took the lead. Could have scored himself in the first period too.

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14 Jesse Lingard

Replaced Rashford 113'. Came on to prove fresh legs and pace, knowing that he has scored in his last two matches. Got a good run with the ball but was dispossessed.

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39 Scott McTominay

Replaced Martial 120'. Came on with a minute of added time remaining. Did not get involved in the match.

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Goals: Bruno Fernandes 95′ penalty

Assists: N/A

Manchester United: Romero; Wan-Bissaka, Bailly (Lindelof 70′), Maguire, Williams; Fred (Matic 70′), Pogba; Greenwood (Mata 90′), Fernandes, Rashford (Lingard 113′); Martial (McTominay 120′)

Substitutes Not Used: De Gea; Fosu-Mensah, Mengi; Pereira, James; Ighalo, Chong

Bookings: Harry Maguire 62′, Eric Bailly 63′; Mikkel Kaufmann 75′, Jens Stage 77′, Zeca 105+3′

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, Match Reports, Opinion, Player Ratings Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Confirmed XI: Martial, Greenwood, Fernandes and Rashford form attack against Copenhagen

10 August 2020 by

Manchester United will be pitted against FC Copenhagen in the quarter-final of the UEFA Europa League this evening which will be played at the RheinEnergieSTADION in Cologne. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side earned their place in the last eight of the competition by Beating Linzer ASK 7-1 on aggregate, scoring five goals in the first leg beck in March, winning 2-1 on Wednesday evening. Copenhagen beat İstanbul Başakşehir 3-1 on aggregate to reach this stage.

Solskjaer’s side earned a place in the UEFA Champions League next season by finishing third in the Premier League this season, beating Leicester City 2-0 in the final match of the season, finishing four points ahead of Leicester, a team who were 14 point ahead of them earlier in the season. United will be able to play for fun and pride in this tournament knowing that they have nothing to lose and everything to win. This could be the start of something special for Solskjaer especially facing compatriot Ståle Solbakken.

Manchester United:

Romero;

Wan-Bissaka, Bailly, Maguire, Williams;

Fred, Pogba;

Greenwood, Fernandes, Rashford;

Martial

Substitutes:

De Gea; Lindelof, Fosu-Mensah, Mengi; Mata, Lingard, Pereira, James, Matic, McTominay; Ighalo, Chong

FC Copenhagen:

Johnsson;

Varela, Nelsson, Bjelland, Boilesen;

Biel, Stage, Zeca;

Daramy, Wind, Falk

Substitutes:

Andersen, Grytebust; Bengtsson, Papagiannopoulos, Bartolec, Oviedo, Mudražija, Kaufmann, Bøving, Hjælmhof

United and Copenhagen met in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League during the 2006/07 season. At Old Trafford, United won the match 3-0 with goals from Paul Scholes, John O’Shea and Kieran Richardson. In the away match played at the Parken Stadion, United lost 1-0 with scoring the only goal of the game. United have not faced the Danish side for 14 years, which were the first two matches between the two clubs in their history. This one-off match will be a good one.

United have played three other Danish teams in European competition starting with Brøndby in the 1998/99 season in the group stages of the Champions League. United won the away match 6-2, winning 5-0 at Old Trafford. During the 2008/09 season in the group stages of the Champions League, United beat Aalborg 3-0 away and drew 2-2 at Old Trafford. The most recent matches were against FC Midtjylland in the Europa League round fo 32, losing 2-1 away and winning 5-1 at home (6-3 on aggregate).

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, News, Opinion, Starting XI Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Predicted XI: Solskjaer set to restore full team against Copenhagen; Fernandes missed against LASK

8 August 2020 by

Manchester United will be pitted against FC Copenhagen in the quarter-final of the UEFA Europa League on Monday evening which will be played at the RheinEnergieSTADION in Cologne. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side earned their place in the last eight of the competition by Beating Linzer ASK 7-1 on aggregate, scoring five goals in the first leg beck in March, winning 2-1 on Wednesday evening. Copenhagen beat İstanbul Başakşehir 3-1 on aggregate to reach this stage.

Solskjaer’s side earned a place in the UEFA Champions League next season by finishing third in the Premier League this season, beating Leicester City 2-0 in the final match of the season, finishing four points ahead of Leicester, a team who were 14 point ahead of them earlier in the season. United will be able to play for fun and pride in this tournament knowing that they have nothing to lose and everything to win. This could be the start of something special for Solskjaer especially facing compatriot Ståle Solbakken. Solskjaer said:

“I used to play with Ståle Solbakken, he’s a good friend of mine – we’ve been in touch. We wished each other good luck [before the last matches] and said hope to see you in Germany.

“They did their job, we did our job, so on to the next one. Ståle’s teams are always well organised and difficult to play against. Very talented young players with experience. It’s going to be a difficult one.”

How United have faired against FC Copenhagen and other Danish opposition in European competition.

United and Copenhagen met in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League during the 2006/07 season. At Old Trafford, United won the match 3-0 with goals from Paul Scholes, John O’Shea and Kieran Richardson. In the away match played at the Parken Stadion, United lost 1-0 with scoring the only goal of the game. United have not faced the Danish side for 14 years, which were the first two matches between the two clubs in their history. This one-legged match will be a good one.

United have played three other Danish teams in European competition starting with Brøndby in the 1998/99 season in the group stages of the Champions League. United won the away match 6-2, winning 5-0 at Old Trafford. During the 2008/09 season in the group stages of the Champions League, United beat Aalborg 3-0 away and drew 2-2 at Old Trafford. The most recent matches were against FC Midtjylland in the Europa League round fo 32, losing 2-1 away and winning 5-1 at home (6-3 on aggregate).

Here is my predicted starting XI to face FC Copenhagen in the UEFA Europa League quarter-final at the RheinEnergieSTADION in Cologne on Monday evening…

Goalkeeper: Sergio Romero

Sergio Romero should keep his place in the team for the competition. It might show David De Gea that he needs to try to improve in the areas where he has been weak this season. He has made some pretty embarrassing mistakes and for that reason, the Argentinian should be given a run in the competition that he has started in eight of the ten matches played so far this season. Romero is a great number two goalkeeper and seems to be happy in that position, although there have been reports that have stated otherwise, which might need addressing.

Defenders: Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Brandon Williams

United’s defence is at barebones and it will be good to see Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Victor Lindelof back in the starting XI. Lindelof was the MOTM against Leicester City in the final Premier League match of the season, in my opinion anyway. He had risen above the criticism and did what he needed to do and perhaps he could to the same thing against Copenhagen. Wan-Bissaka was missed too with Fosu-Mensah at right-back. Harry Maguire wants to play every game and you can see that he is determined to get something for the club this season. Brandon Williams started the last game, as did Maguire, and will probably keep his place in the team against the Danish side.

Midfield: Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic

In midfield, Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba will do the job they have been doing for most of the restart period of the domestic season. Both player were missing from the starting XI against LASK and until Pogba came on, United looked dreadful. With Pogba in midfield, it led to Mata being a little bit more fluid and able to get two assists to inspire United to come from behind and win the match, despite their aggregate scoreline having them in a winning position already. Pogba, in form, is one of the players that can make the team tick. Matic is underrated too – what he has done this season has been brilliant and seen him earn a new contract at the club.

Attacking Midfield: Mason Greenwood, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford

United lacked creativity without the trio of Mason Greenwood, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford against LASK on Wednesday. It was good to give them all a rest though, which was needed after all those matches in quick succession to end the domestic season. Greenwood has 17 goals and five assists with Fernandes on 10 goals and eight assists and Rashford on 22 goals and 10 assists. United will be much better with these three players against Copenhagen. Martial should be fully supplied with Fernandes’ creativity and both Greenwood and Rashford using width to keep him supplied. The trio will be looking forward to this match.

Striker: Anthony Martial

The Frenchman has scored 23 goals this season, with 11 assists, giving him a 34 goal contribution this season, which has been good for him. Hr is the in form player in the team at the moment and was needed on Wednesday when United were struggling to grind the victory. Martial has had the best season at the club in his career so far and seems to be happy under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, which is great to see. The player seems full of smiles and as long as he is scoring or assisting, it will be enough to keep United ticking over.

Substitutes: David De Gea; Eric Bailly, Tim Fosu-Mensah, Teden Mengi; Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, Andreas Pereira, Fred, Daniel James, Scott McTominay; Odion Ighalo, Tahith Chong

Solskjaer named 12 players on the bench in the last match on Wednesday so will probably have the same depth on the bench on Monday. He can use five substitutes. David De Gea will be the goalkeeper on the bench, should he be needed. In defence, because of injuries, Eric Bailly, Tim Fosu-Mensah and Teden Mengi could be included should they be needed during the match. In midfield, United have many rotation players with Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, Andreas Pereira, Fred, Daniel James, and Scott McTominay. In attack, Odion Ighalo and Tahith Chong could be utilised if needed. I feel this will give United enough to get the result they need, as long as those starting get the business done.

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, Opinion, Starting XI Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Preview: Copenhagen stand in United’s way for a Europa League semi-final in Cologne

8 August 2020 by

Manchester United -v- FC Copenhagen

UEFA Europa League

RheinEnergieSTADION, Cologne, Germany

Monday 10 August 2020, KO 20:00 BST

Referee: Clément Turpin  Assistants: Nicolas Danos, Cyril Gringore 

Fourth Official: William Collum

VAR: François Letexier Assistant VAR: Jérôme Brisard

Manchester United will be pitted against FC Copenhagen in the quarter-final of the UEFA Europa League on Monday evening which will be played at the RheinEnergieSTADION in Cologne. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side earned their place in the last eight of the competition by Beating Linzer ASK 7-1 on aggregate, scoring five goals in the first leg beck in March, winning 2-1 on Wednesday evening. Copenhagen beat İstanbul Başakşehir 3-1 on aggregate to reach this stage.

Solskjaer’s side earned a place in the UEFA Champions League next season by finishing third in the Premier League this season, beating Leicester City 2-0 in the final match of the season, finishing four points ahead of Leicester, a team who were 14 point ahead of them earlier in the season. United will be able to play for fun and pride in this tournament knowing that they have nothing to lose and everything to win. This could be the start of something special for Solskjaer especially facing compatriot Ståle Solbakken. Solskjaer said:

“I used to play with Ståle Solbakken, he’s a good friend of mine – we’ve been in touch. We wished each other good luck [before the last matches] and said hope to see you in Germany.

“They did their job, we did our job, so on to the next one. Ståle’s teams are always well organised and difficult to play against. Very talented young players with experience. It’s going to be a difficult one.”

Form: United defeated once in their last six matches with Copenhagen defeated twice. United have scored more goals in the last six matches, just one more though. Time for the big guns to shine?

Manchester United: WWDLWD

Linzer ASK 2-1 W, Leicester City 2-0 W, West Ham United 1-1 D, Chelsea 3-1 L, Crystal Palace 2-0 W, Southampton 2-2 D

FC Copenhagen: WWWLDL

İstanbul Başakşehir 3-0 W, Nordsjælland 2-1 W, AaB Aalborg 1-0 W, Aarhus Gymnastikforening 4-2 L, Brøndby 0-0 D, FC Midtjylland 3-1 L

Top Scorers: Anthony Martial leading the way as United’s top scorer, posing a challenge to Marcus Rashford for the remainder of the season. Copenhagen’s top scorer (still at the club) is Jonas Wind.

Manchester United Goals: 23 – Anthony Martial, 22 – Marcus Rashford, 17 – Mason Greenwood, 10 – Bruno Fernandes, 5 – Odion Ighalo, Scott McTominay, 4 – Daniel James, Jesse Lingard, 3 – Harry Maguire, Juan Mata, 2 – Fred, Own Goal, Andreas Pereira, 1 – Diogo Dalot, Phil Jones, Victor Lindelof, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Luke Shaw, Brandon Williams, Ashley Young

United started to falter at the end of the season with players clearly suffering from fatigue. Most of United’s squad were rested from the round of 16 victory over Linzer ASK on Wednesday, meaning they will have had a suitable break ready for the latter stages of the competition. Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Bruno Fernandes will be seeking to score more goals this season with United on the hunt for a major trophy – last winning the Europa League in 2017.

FC Copenhagen Goals: 13 – Pieros Sotiriou, 12 – Dame N’Doye, 10 – Jonas Wind, 8 – Michael Santos, 7 – Mohamed Daramy, 6 – Own Goal, Jens Stage, 5 – Pep Biel, 4 – Viktor Fischer, 3 – Zeca, 2 – Rasmus Falk, 1 – Karlo Bartolec, Nicklas Bendtner, Pierre Bengtsson, Mikkel Kaufmann, Robert Skov, Nicolaj Thomsen

Copenhagen finished second to Midtjylland in the Danish Superliga regular season, finishing second against in the Championship round with Midtjylland finishing at the top once again. This puts the Danish side into the Europa League second qualification round next season but they will be seeking to go as far as they can this season to try and win a Champions League place next season, which might be a little too tough for them considering the club still remaining in the Europa League this season.

Team News: United missing three players due to injury with Copenhagen missing three to injury and one to suspension. Solskjaer to play his best XI once again?

Solskjaer looks set to be without Axel Tuanzebe (ankle/foot), Phil Jones (knee) and Luke Shaw (ankle) for the remainder of the season. However, United have suitable replacements in the team for all three of the players but squad depth may mean the manager will utilise some youth players in the squad in this competition. Victor Lindelof was rested against LASK and not injured which is good news. Harry Maguire is desperate to continue playing this season. Solskjaer said:

“First of all, he’s desperate to play, he’s the captain. There’s a reason why he’s the captain: he always wants to play, but he’s always ready to play.

“He’s missed one game, two games this season maybe through some illness, and I think he just gets sharper and sharper the more he plays. He’ll get his time off after this tournament, so no worries about that.”

Solbakken looks set to be without Michael Santos who is suspended for this match – he had scored eight goals this season. Whereas Ragnar Sigurðsson (unspecified), Viktor Fischer (groin), and Nicolaj Thomsen (unspecified) all look set to miss this match due to injury. Top scorers Pieros Sotiriou (13) and Dame N’Doye (12) have now left the club. Solbakken, speaking about United, told UEFA:

“United are big, big favorites. It’s about executing our game as [well] as possible, and obviously we have to take care of many of the aspects that Manchester United have to their game.

“They are very fast and are good at counterattacking since [Bruno] Fernandes arrived. They also do very quick combinations around the box. It’s a lot of things to be scared about, but we just have to make sure that we follow the plan and see how far that brings us.”

Predicted Starting XI: Solskjaer to start full strength squad to blow Copenhagen out of the water and earn semi-final place in the Europa League on the hunt for first trophy?

Solskjaer will recall Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Victor Lindelof against Copenhagen on Monday evening in Cologne. United will be seeking to go all the way in the Europa League this season, despite already earning a place in the Champions League. Playing for fun and playing for pride along the way.

Match Prediction: United might have a tough task ahead of them with Copenhagen looking good in their last match. 14 years ago each team won in the Champions League group stages.

United and Copenhagen met in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League during the 2006/07 season. At Old Trafford, United won the match 3-0 with goals from Paul Scholes, John O’Shea and Kieran Richardson. In the away match played at the Parken Stadion, United lost 1-0 with scoring the only goal of the game. United have not faced the Danish side for 14 years, which were the first two matches between the two clubs in their history. This one-legged match will be a good one.

United have played three other Danish teams in European competition starting with Brøndby in the 1998/99 season in the group stages of the Champions League. United won the away match 6-2, winning 5-0 at Old Trafford. During the 2008/09 season in the group stages of the Champions League, United beat Aalborg 3-0 away and drew 2-2 at Old Trafford. The most recent matches were against FC Midtjylland in the Europa League round fo 32, losing 2-1 away and winning 5-1 at home (6-3 on aggregate).

Manchester United 2-1 FC Copenhagen

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, Match Previews, News, Opinion Tagged With: , , , , , ,

copyright: JW