Manchester United’s season now hinges on the Europa League.
They travel to Spain to face Real Sociedad in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Thursday, knowing that failure in this competition would make an already disastrous campaign even worse.
Sunday’s FA Cup exit at the hands of Fulham only deepened their misery. A 4-3 penalty defeat at Old Trafford ensured they will finish the domestic season without silverware, while their 14th-place position in the Premier League leaves Champions League qualification through the league almost impossible.
Ruben Amorim is trying to play down the pressure, insisting that winning the Europa League is “not the crucial thing for the future of the club.” But he also admitted that lifting the trophy “would make a massive difference” given United’s failures elsewhere. There is no hiding from the fact that they have to win.
The Europa League has been the only bright spot in a dreadful season. United are the only unbeaten side left in the competition, winning five straight games after three early draws.
Their 16 goals in the League Phase were bettered by just three teams, and they are averaging 18.8 shots per game — their best output in a European campaign since 2003-04.
European trips to Spain have been a mixed bag. United have lost just one of their last eight away games against La Liga sides, but that defeat — 3-0 at Sevilla in the 2022-23 quarter-finals — was a brutal reality check.
Real Sociedad are struggling. Successive defeats to Real Madrid and Barcelona have derailed their momentum, with Sunday’s 4-0 hammering by the latter exposing their flaws.
Their 12th La Liga defeat of the season leaves them ninth in the table, 12 points off the top four. Like United, they may need to go all the way in the Europa League to reach next season’s Champions League.
Their record against English sides at home is poor. They have never beaten a Premier League team on their own turf, failing to score in their last three encounters with United. Their only win in six meetings with the Red Devils was a slender 1-0 group-stage victory at Old Trafford in 2022.
Amorim is trying to take the long view. “Manchester United can call all of the best players, even without the Champions League,” he said. “We have to change a lot of things and we’re trying to do that.”
That may be true, but right now, his team need to deliver. Losing this tie is not an option.
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