After having beaten Real Sociedad 4-0 in the first leg of their Europa League Round of 32 tie, Manchester United came into the second leg with one foot already in the Last 16 of the competition.
As a result, they were not expected to be at the top of their game and rotate a bit as well, with the tie as good as done already. Surprisingly though, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did end up naming a pretty decent starting XI, perhaps not wanting to take any chances.
Ultimately, the Red Devils were lucky to come out with a draw on the night as the visitors missed a penalty and hit the post. But then, United also had a goal ruled out by VAR, so it was a fair result at the end of the night.
While it was not a night filled with standout performances, the Red Devils did what they needed to in order to go through the next round. And this also continues Solskjaer’s impressive record of taking the team deep into Cup competitions ever since he took over as manager.
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Manchester United Player Ratings vs Real Sociedad
Here’s how we think the Manchester United players performed in their 0-0 draw against Real Sociedad:
Dean Henderson – 7.5
Aaron Wan-Bissaka – 5.5
Victor Lindelof – 6.5
Eric Bailly – 7
Alex Telles – 6
Fred – 6
Nemanja Matic – 7
Daniel James – 6
Bruno Fernandes – 6.5
Mason Greenwood – 6
Anthony Martial – 6.5
Substitutes
Axel Tuanzebe – 6.5
Brandon Williams – 6
Marcus Rashford – 6
Amad – 6
Shola Shoretire – 5.5
Again, the Red Devils did what they needed to do to make sure of their place in the Last 16. Now the focus will turns towards Chelsea, who have seen an upturn in form ever since Thomas Tuchel took over and it is expected to be a tight affair.
As a result, Solskjaer’s men probably would have liked to score a couple of goals to go into that game with a bit more momentum. But it is what it is.