“Manchester United”, the name in itself has started giving multiple hopes for a bunch of football spectators this season. The club has improved a lot compared to its past experiences but a lack of team play and football uncertainties are some non-ignorable barriers that have struck the club again this season.
Since the past few weeks, the Manchester-based club has been hitting with injuries, leading to a narrowing down of players for an impactful playing 11. Players like Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Alejandro Garnacho are some of the players on this United injury list. These players have been building a strong back for the team for a long time but their recent absence was certainly something that the team witnessed in Europa League this time.
Staying in the top four of the Premier League and going to the Quarterfinals of the Europa League was certainly something the team has been aiming for 2 years but the Spanish curse which has been revolving around Manchester United reflected again. During the first leg of the quarterfinals against Sevilla FC, Erik’s men could grab an easy win on home soil after Marcel Sabitzer scored 2 goals against the Spanish side. But as time passed by Manchester lose their most efficient defender, Lisandro Martinez due to an injury and had to be taken out of the field. This incident led to a lack of defence which later ended the score in a draw, where Manchester’s substitute defenders, Malacia and Maguire, scored their own goals in the dying moments of the match.
This win slipped out of Manchester’s hand like sandy soil, but the team did not lose hope for the second leg which was going to be organised on Sevilla’s home ground. The game kicked off yesterday again with an aggregate of 2-2, but this game was a bit risky for the Manchester side. The team have not been playing with their overall defensive side which was witnessed within the beginning eight minutes of the match. Maguire was surrounded by three Sevilla players which led him to a wrong step and caused an early lead by Sevilla forward Y.En-Nesyri. Later Manchester tried many chances but Sevilla’s atmosphere, style of play and Bounou’s presence around the goal net gave the team only unlucky chances. Later just after half time when Manchester was preparing themselves to give the home side an equaliser, Sevilla’s defender Loic Bade didn’t allow the opponent to create a fightback mentality by scoring a beautiful goal through a header. The game had already slipped out of Manchester’s hand when during the 81st minute it was the Moroccan forward, Youssef En-Neysri who placed the cherry on the cake by placing a beautiful shot towards the open goal when Manchester’s defence made another major mistake. He later was awarded the Man of the Match award.
The match ended on a final aggregate of 5-2 after a major loss of 3-0 in Sevilla and Manchester United’s Spanish team curse continued in major competitions. Now the Red Devils will play at high risk for their remaining nine matches as their main aim would be keeping them stagnant in the top four positions in Premier League so that they can step into the Champions League again. While they also have a major semifinal ahead against Brighton in FA Cup tomorrow which can give the team another trophy hope.