Manchester United’s Europa League quarter-final clash against Villareal ended in a devastating 2-2 draw, despite the Red Devils leading 2-0 for most of the game.
Things started off well for Manchester United as Marcel Sabitzer scored a brace, taking the Red Devils two goals ahead. However, the first half was marred by a harsh booking for Bruno Fernandes which will see him miss the return leg in Spain next week. Not long into the second half, Raphael Varane was taken off with a possible injury, and to make matters worse, Tyrell Malacia and Harry Maguire scored own goals in the closing minutes, leaving the tie level at 2-2.
Fans took to Twitter to express their frustrations, with one writing, “What a f***ing disaster that 10 minutes was.” BT Sport pundit and United legend Paul Scholes echoed the sentiments of fans. He said: ‘The second half was a complete disaster. You never felt Sevilla put loads of pressure on United. United must have felt this was going to be a stroll in the park. It looks like Lisandro Martínez has done his Achilles. It doesn’t look great.’
It’s a cruel blow for Manchester United, who had high hopes of progressing to the semi-finals. With the Red Devils now facing the prospect of being without both Martínez and Varane for the return leg, and their captain Bruno Fernandes suspended, their task of overturning the 2-2 deficit is looking more and more daunting.
The Manchester United fans will be hoping that the Red Devils can still get it done and progress to the next round. However, it looks like it’s going to be a tough ask. With the odds stacked against them, the Red Devils will need to pull off a miracle if they are to turn this game around and make it to the semi-finals.
