Summary
Manchester United qualified for the quarter-finals of the Europa League with a 4-1 win over Real Sociedad.
A Bruno Fernandes hat-trick and late Diogo Dalot goal secured the victory.
One Manchester United youngster was the unsung hero of the night with an incredible performance.
There were some more positives on display on Thursday evening at Old Trafford as Ruben Amorim's Manchester United qualified for the quarter-finals of the Europa League after beating Real Sociedad 4-1. The Red Devils came into their home leg off the back of a 1-1 draw in San Sebastian, and after going behind early to another Mikel Oyazarbal penalty, they flexed their muscles and showed what they are truly capable of under their new manager.
A Bruno Fernandes spot-kick off the back of a well-worked move pulled the hosts level on the night, before the United skipper repeated the feat early in the second half and then grabbed a third inside the final five minutes before a goal from compatriot Diogo Dalot assured passage through to the last eight.
The line-up saw a couple of changes from the stalemate with Arsenal last weekend, namely Rasmus Hojlund being restored to the starting line-up and looking more of a threat than he has in recent weeks. However, there was an even more surprising name in the XI as teenager Ayden Heaven was included from the start for the first time in his Manchester United career. The 18-year-old has made fleeting appearances since joining from Arsenal in January, but looked at home on a night where the pressure was on in the North West.
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Amorim opted for a youthful left-hand side of defence, with Heaven lining up on that side of the back three and Patrick Dorgu bombing forward at left-wing back. In the opening five minutes, the former Arsenal prodigy found himself being squared up by Japanese speedster Takefusa Kubo, who has previously been the subject of interest from Liverpool.
Despite some hairy moments early where it looked as though the tricky winger could be a threat all night, Heaven, as well as the rest of his United teammates settled down after going behind and the youngster put on a display that was mature beyond his years. The England under-19 international won all four of his duels and used his pace to cover ground in a way that even the more experienced Victor Lindelof, who was left on the bench, may have struggled to do.
What was perhaps even more impressive, though, was the composure the 18-year-old showed with the ball at his feet. There were several moments where the ball was whipped into Heaven's feet under pressure, but he again showed his calmness to make the sensible decisions and used the fact that he is left-footed to his advantage as he was able to find angles that set his side away on the attack, completing 88% of his passes.
While Fernandes will no doubt grab the headlines for his treble that ultimately gave United the win, Heaven's efforts cannot be overlooked, as the Manchester Evening News' Samuel Luckhurst wrote on social media:
"#mufc good after they went 1-0 down. Heaven has been excellent again and Hojlund has had his best game in months, despite missing a great chance."
It is high praise for a youngster who, prior to tonight, had never started a game in his senior career. But, having impressed in the FA Cup against Fulham and in his cameo against his former club, the United faithful have made their feelings clear on what could end up being a real bargain for the Red Devils.
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As proceedings continued at the Theatre of Dreams, fans flooded social media to shower the young defender with praise. One supporter raved: "We signed Ayden Heaven for £1.5M. He’s worth £10M+ already. Great recruitment," while a second shared similar sentiments by saying: "Ayden Heaven cost £1m of the kings finest meanwhile Everton wanted us to pay them 70m for Branthwaite.
A third added: "Arsenal fans tried to gaslight people into thinking that Ayden Heaven wasn’t good because he left them, i know what my eyes are watching, this is a serious talent," while a fourth said: "Ayden Heaven - terrific. Amazing trust shown by Amorim and repaid already in that first half. More of that to come. Looks so composed."
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All statistics courtesy of Sofascore - accurate as of 13/03/2025.