Two goals up and seemingly cruising toward the Europa League semi-finals on Thursday, Manchester United are now counting the cost of a late meltdown against Sevilla.
Own-goals from Tyrell Malacia and Harry Maguire in the 84th and 92nd minutes left the quarter-final in the balance at 2-2 ahead of next week’s second leg in Spain.
Meanwhile, injuries to centerbacks Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez added to a bad night for Erik ten Hag.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The United manager is already without injured leading scorer Marcus Rashford at a critical point of the season. Bruno Fernandes is also suspended for the second leg after picking up his third yellow card of the competition.
“We had the game in our hands, we were 2-0 up and should have scored three or four, then we had some unlucky moments with injuries,” Ten Hag said. “I know we can do better in the last part of the game, we have to be more composed. We were a little bit unlucky defensively. It wasn’t a nice night.”
It was Sevilla’s visiting supporters who could be heard singing loudest at the final whistle, with Old Trafford stunned by the Spanish team’s fightback.
United can expect a hot reception at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan next week after giving the Spaniards a lifeline at a time when they looked to be headed out of a competition they have dominated in recent times.
“It’s as we said at halftime — with one goal we get back in the tie, and we were strong enough to keep going and to take our chances,” Sevilla coach Jose Luis Mendilibar said.
There is a reason why Sevilla have won the trophy six times between 2006 and 2020, and that is because they find a way through difficult moments, and while they are 13th in La Liga, they refused to give up, despite being outplayed for the majority of the match.
Marcel Sabitzer scored in the 14th and 21st minutes to give United a 2-0 halftime lead.
Antony hit the bar after the break, before Sevilla made Ten Hag’s team pay for failing to kill the game off, with Malacia turning Jesus Navas’ cross into his own net to spark the late comeback.
David de Gea pulled off a flying save to deny substitute Youssef En-Nesyri in stoppage-time, but Sevilla were soon celebrating when Maguire inadvertently diverted En-Nesyri’s header past his own goalkeeper almost immediately afterward.
While Ten Hag must now lift his players after relinquishing control of the quarter-final, he might also have to plan ahead without key defenders.
Varane was substituted at halftime because of an injury and Martinez looked in distress as he was carried off the pitch by Sevilla players Marcos Acuna and Gonzalo Montiel, his Argentina teammates, late on.
Ten Hag could not give details of severity of Martinez’s injury, but the player’s reaction — crouched over and covering his face with his hands on the sideline — appeared to show his own concern.
“I think he will not play on Sunday,” Ten Hag said. “It looks like that, but I can’t say what is the diagnosis and I prefer to wait, and then we are clear and know exactly what is it.”
United play Nottingham Forest in the English Premier League tomorrow before the second leg against Sevilla on Thursday next week and the FA Cup semi-final against Brighton & Hove Albion the following weekend.
“I have an idea what we can play on Sunday, but first we have to see tomorrow and talk with medical [staff], see who came out of the game, and then we have a plan and then we will bring a good team on [the] pitch,” Ten Hag said.
Elsewhere, Matts Wieffer’s second-half volley helped Feyenoord beat AS Roma 1-0 in their quarter-final first leg.
Oussama Idrissi set up the goal in the 54th minute by breaking down the left before providing a precise cross for Wieffer in a victory that was a sweet revenge for the hosts.
The game was a rematch of last year’s final in the the inaugural edition of the third-tier Europa Conference League, which Roma won 1-0 for coach Jose Mourinho’s fifth European title.
Roma forwards Paulo Dybala and Tammy Abraham both left the game because of injuries.
Juventus had to rely on a late goal from defender Federico Gatti, who scored from close range in the 73rd minute to secure three points and a 1-0 victory over Sporting.
The goal came against the run of play as the Portuguese team looked ready to again upset the favorites after they eliminated English Premier League leaders Arsenal in the previous round.
Florian Wirtz scored seven minutes from time to salvage a 1-1 draw for Bayer 04 Leverkusen against Union Saint-Gilloise.
Earlier in the second half, forward Victor Boniface scored his seventh goal of the campaign to put the Belgian team ahead.
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