Manchester United will take a draw back to Old Trafford after a 1-1 result against Real Soceidad in San Sebastian.
The Europa League took centre stage for Manchester United on Thursday evening with Ruben Amorim taking his side to Spain.
Being drawn against Real Sociedad in the last 16 was a real banana skin with the La Liga side capable of producing a result.
United were the better side for large spells though and took the lead in the second half with Joshua Zirkzee rifling home from Alejandro Garnacho’s pass.
United couldn’t find a second though and were hit with a sucker punch when Bruno Fernandes was penalised for handball inside the United box.
Mikel Oyarzabal stepped up to score and Real Sociedad piled the pressure on United, but had to settle for a 1-1 draw.
Photo by ANDER GILLENEA/AFP via Getty Images
Photo by ANDER GILLENEA/AFP via Getty Images
Robbie Savage slams Manchester United’s Diogo Dalot
United are certainly still in this tie and should be confident of picking up a win at Old Trafford in the second leg.
This feels like a real missed opportunity for United though with Real Sociedad second best until the penalty.
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United just didn’t find the clinical edge and that was summed up by one first-half moment.
Diogo Dalot was played in down the right flank with Rasmus Hojlund waiting in the box for a ball across.
The Dane may be on a lengthy goal drought but even he would have backed himself to score from close range had Dalot picked him out.
Instead, Dalot turned back and the chance was gone, leaving Hojlund absolutely furious with the United wing back.
Co-commentator Robbie Savage was incensed, telling TNT Sports (06/03, 6:05pm) that Dalot’s refusal to pick out the pass was ‘unacceptable’.
Savage noted that he would be ‘absolutely hammering’ Dalot if he was Ruben Amorim, believing that he cost United a simply chance to scor.e
“So people can criticise Hojlund for not scoring but there, he’s made the run, why on earth has Dalot not passed it there?” said Savage.
“If I was a manager, I would be screaming. He’s in, he’s got goal-side of the defender, roll it across, it’s a simple pass – that’s unacceptable.
“Dalot, all he has to do is roll it across, then it’s up to Hojlund – but he didn’t get the opportunity.
“That’s not acceptable. If was the manager now, I’d be absolutely hammering him,” he added.
Paul Scholes agrees on Diogo Dalot
Former United midfielder Paul Scholes was on punditry duty for TNT Sports as well, and agreed with Savage’s frustration.
Speaking at half time, Scholes admitted that he saw United players practicing that exact pattern of play before the game.
Scholes watched on as United players trained on finding a wing back to put the ball into the box first time.
When the moment came in the game, Dalot chose against putting the ball in – something Scholes claims is ‘criminal’.
Scholes suggested that Hojlund would have had an ‘easy goal’ if Dalot had picked him out and feels that no wing back in the game should be missing that kind of opportunity.
“Do you know what the frustrating thing is, for 20 minutes we watched them warming up and that is exactly what they were practicing – into the wing back, crossing it first time,” said Scholes.
“For Dalot not to see that is criminal really. You’ve got Hojlund, your striker who has made a great run, just a simple pass… for any right back in world football not to see that is criminal and that’s an easy goal for Hojlund,” he added.
United will hope that this moment doesn’t come back to haunt Dalot with a second leg still to come.
Teeing Hojlund up in the first half could have set United on the path to victory but the United striker must continue his wait for a goal.