Manchester United were crowned Europa League champions once in their history, after beating Ajax in the 2017 final.
Jose Mourinho led Manchester United to a convincing win over Ajax in the 2017 Europa League final, with Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan scoring the only goals in a 2-0 win.
Pogba hit the back of the net with a 25-yard strike, which took a deflection off Davinson Sanchez, who was arguably Ajax’s best performer on the night. The second goal came after the break when a corner was met by the head of Chris Smalling, who teed Mkhitaryan up for a scissor-kick from close range.
The result meant United returned to the Champions League, despite missing out on a place in the Premier League’s top four during the 2016/17 season.
Without further ado, here is a throwback to United’s starting line-up that beat Ajax in the 2017 Europa League final.
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Getty Images
Manchester United celebrate against Ajax in Europa League 2017 final
Photo by Salih Zeki Fazlioglu/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Sergio Romero
Position: Goalkeeper
Sergio Romero stood in for David de Gea for the majority of United’s Europa League campaign, so Mourinho opted to stick with the Argentine for the final.
He made a total of 18 appearances that season, with 12 of them coming in the Europa League.
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It was a quiet night for Romero, rarely threatened by Ajax, but he held a shot from Bertrand Traoré in the first half.
De Gea’s absence wasn’t an issue.
Antonio Valencia
Position: Right back
It was a fine display from Antonio Valencia, who made Andre Onana work after his first run forward.
Ajax winger Amin Younes was unable to trouble the experienced Ecuadorian.
Valencia was one of United’s most experienced players at the time.
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Chris Smalling
Position: Centre back
Smalling deserves credit for assisting Mkhitaryan to make it 2-0 in the second half, but he also dominated Kasper Dolberg throughout the game.
It would be fair to say the England international justified his selection on the night.
Daley Blind
Position: Centre back
It was a huge night for Daley Blind, playing against his former club in a European final.
The Netherlands international kept Ajax at bay without being troubled, cleaning up at the back and tracking runners.
Matteo Darmian
Position: Left back
Apart from preventing a dangerous attack from Traoré before the half-time whistle, Matteo Darmian had a quiet night as Ajax rarely threatened in attack.
Ander Herrera
Position: Midfield
Ander Herrera was integral to a midfield that dominated the game early on, setting the tempo up for the rest of the game.
The Spain international followed Hakim Ziyech and kept Ajax’s main threat quiet.
Herrera made 11 defensive contributions throughout the match, including six tackles, two clearances and three interceptions.
Paul Pogba
Position: Midfield
This will go down as one of Paul Pogba’s best performances in a United shirt, even though his opening goal required a bit of luck.
The French star spread the ball around the pitch with ease and helped United overpower Ajax.
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Marouane Fellaini
Position: Midfield
Mourinho would have been thrilled with Marouane Fellaini in Stockholm because the Belgian did exactly what was asked of him.
Making a nuisance of himself in the middle of the pitch – to benefit United – he assisted Pogba for the opener.
Fellaini was unlucky not to add to United’s winning margin with a header.
Juan Mata
Position: Right wing
It was a tidy display from Juan Mata on the right flank.
The Spaniard was tasked with tucking in whenever Ajax had possession to close out space before being substituted in the 74th-minute.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Position: Left wing
Like Mata, Mkhitaryan was called to the bench after 74 minutes of play.
The Armenian scored United’s second goal with an acrobatic finish, which knocked the stuffing out of Ajax on the night.
It was a difficult first half for Mkhitaryan, but his goal proved crucial as United went on to lift the trophy.
Marcus Rashford
Position: Striker
United looked to take advantage of Marcus Rashford’s pace by getting him to run in behind Ajax’s defenders.
Although Rashford was willing to make runs, he rarely got into goalscoring areas and was substituted in the 84th-minute.
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Substitutes
David de Gea: Not used.
Phil Jones: Not used.
Wayne Rooney: 31 at the time, it was great seeing Wayne Rooney come off the bench and play a role in United’s Europa League triumph, even if it was in the final minutes of the game.
Anthony Martial: With just six minutes of normal time left on the clock, Anthony Martial provided fresh legs as Mourinho looked to close the game out.
Jesse Lingard: Brought on for his pace on the counter-attack, Jesse Lingard made Sanchez work. He did miss an opportunity to cut in from the right flank, which could have forced the centre-back to take him down inside the box.
Michael Carrick: Not used.
Timothy Fosu-Mensah: Not used.
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