Paul Scholes highlighted two Manchester United players for praise after Thursday night’s draw against Real Sociedad.
Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad in the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie.
Joshua Zirkzee scored his first goal for Manchester United in Europe to open the scoring, but Mikel Oyarzabal’s penalty ensured the hosts secured a draw.
United controlled possession for large parts of the game but couldn’t convert their chances in front of goal to beat La Real. The biggest chance of the first half came after 37 minutes when both Zirkzee and Bruno Fernandes had shots cleared off the line.
The second half became a more open affair but the 1-1 draw means it’s all to play for at Old Trafford in next week’s second leg.
Photo by Ion Alcoba Beitia/Getty Images
Photo by Ion Alcoba Beitia/Getty Images
Paul Scholes impressed by Manchester United duo
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes is not concerned about the second leg.
Scholes named two United players he was impressed with during United’s draw with Real Sociedad, and he doesn’t think the La Liga outfit will cause problems in the return fixture next week.
Ruben Amorim opted to play Fernandes in a deeper role against Sociedad, along with Casemiro in central midfield. The Brazilian replaced the injured Manuel Ugarte and was one of United’s top performers on the night.
More United News
Speaking on TNT Sports’ live broadcast after the game, Scholes explained that he was impressed with Fernandes and Casemiro’s contribution in the middle of the pitch.
“No, not really,” Scholes said when asked if he was worried about the return leg. “You don’t really know what you’re going to get from Manchester United, whether it’s away or at home this year.
“I just didn’t see enough in Sociedad, really, to think they could go to Old Trafford and win. I think when you go to Old Trafford, especially, you need a bit of pace. It’s a big pitch. I didn’t see a lot of that from Sociedad down there. I thought United, in the main, were in control.
“I thought Fernandes and Casemiro, in the sense of the pitch, kept possession quite well. That’s what the manager asked for before the game. And I thought they were quite comfortable.
“But because they’re playing against a team without that much legs, that helps them too, definitely. I thought they were in control. They didn’t create an awful lot of chances, Manchester United.
“We know Dalot should have squared it to Højlund, and that would have been another one. Garnacho had a couple of hard chances. But I expect United to be better at home next week, and I think they’ve got enough to beat Real Sociedad.”
Casemiro stands out against Real Sociedad
The game was played at a slow tempo which helped Casemiro, who isn’t the player he was years ago, when he played Real Sociedad each season during his successful stint at Real Madrid.
Casemiro had a high success rate for tackles won and completed 31 passes against La Real.
Casemiro's game by numbers vs. Sociedad:
83% tackle win rate
31 passes completed
8 duels won
5/6 tackles won (most)
2 clearances
2 interceptions
2 blocks
Another ball-winning performance in CM. 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/r18kt8hCOt
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) March 6, 2025
View Tweet
Moreover, the Brazil international won more tackles than any other player on the pitch.
His midfield partner Fernandes was unlucky to give away a penalty in the second half, which cost United a win at the end.