Manchester United has a chance to find out how far it has been from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in Sunday’s Europa League semi-final.
The symptoms were very promising, either visually and in terms of effects, however, a victory over Sevilla to succeed in a European first final would destroy the theory that this team is going fast. One position in the last opposition to Inter Milan or Shakhtar Donetsk is the proposed price.
The last match between those two teams, just over two years ago, saw United kicked off the Champions League in the 16th through the La Liga team at Old Trafford. A feature that played the last months of José Mourinho in office; unimaginative, stale and frankly dull.
This match can stay somewhere on your memory bank because it is the defeat that triggered the notorious perorata of Mourinho’s ‘legacy’, where he set his record to the highest level in a 12-minute defence. You can read this mythical diatribe here.
United shakes for this win-win showdown in Germany with another team from Joseph’s time.
There are sparks all over the field, electric power at the fan base and a football logo closer to the classic Manchester United style. What is missing from Solskjaer, however, is the silver crockery on the mantelpiece; José will tell you that he did it at this festival even with a very diminished side.
Staying away from United is a force of nature in this competition, which has won it five times since it changed its name and a team that has a top-tier tactician on Julen Lopetegui’s bench.
If there is any unfinished business in this tournament, call Sevilla.
They showed the opposites of the wolves how they are a supremely organized ecu elite brute with and without the ball. A blank sheet means you just awarded a purpose in your last 8 games in all competitions. A fourth place – tied for issues with Atletico Madrid third – to national point is also not sniffed.
United was eliminated in the last four matches of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup this year, which their boss quickly pointed out after their bold victory over FC Copenhagen.
He said: “Let’s see if we’ve evolved the season because we’ve had two semi-finals before. We have to take the next step.”
“Semi-finals: it’s a smart, decent effort, but it’s not smart enough. He’s still not smart enough for Man United.
“The team has grown, increasingly hungry. Let’s make sure that the pain we feel in the other two cuts we take out, that may be our marginal difference. The difference we need more than them.
He made the pre-final appearances not enough. Now it’s time to take it to the next level.
Sevilla picked up ball pace in front of wolves, at suffocating levels.
It is this relentless tension founded on the property that sucks life from the legs of the opposition and opens the door to the victor. At this point, Seville’s mood was clearer and this proved crucial.
United will have to save Seville from doing the same and the most sensible thing at the source. This source is Ever Banega, who was the most sensible driver of his game by winning the quarter-finals. After Raúl Jiménez’s erroneous penalty, Joao Moutinho and Rubén Neves did not get a shot for Banega’s skilful movement and chemistry with his teammates in attack zones.
He had the highest touches (139), the highest passes completed (103) and created the maximum occasions in the match (3) – which included the middle of the winning goal, scored through the damaging Lucas Ocampos.
Banega also has a history with United. He was the off-competition player when Sevilla attacked Old Trafford in the last match. Marouane Fellaini told him to stop him and won the lap.
United, like the Wolves, will probably play three in the middle of the park and one from Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic or Bruno Fernandes will be tasked with approaching the Argentine. They’ll have to do a much bigger task to interrupt The of Banega than the wolves. Stop him and United will have a platform to lose his aggressive players.
The wolves were largely toothless looking to control the well-organized defense of Seville, led by the impressive Jules Kounde, who would have been promoted as the guy who would update Sergio Ramos at Real Madrid. However, there is one weakness that Solskjaer will have detected: protecting against rhythm.
The La Liga giants love to keep the ball, as shown through their 67% ownership against the Wolves, but that opens them.
Adama Traoré for the first 20 minutes scared their lives with their direct bursts that allowed their back line to be covered. It was his devastating career that caused enough panic for Santos Silva to stop him for the penalty. The wolves did not seize the opportunity, Jimenez inflicted his lines of position, anything That United does not miss.
They have won 21 consequences in all competitions this season (four in the UEFA Europa League), adding the winner of Fernandes’ quarter-final extension, more than any other team in the five most sensible European leagues.
Many report on United’s penalty kicking in terms of conspiracy theory, however, their ability to win fouls in and around the area is not accidental. Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Anthony Martial are sensitive clients when they have full skin. Yes, they seek the fault, but it is a skill in itself, gained by thinking faster than the defender.
Sky Bet estimates that United gets its 22th penalty of the season at 7/2. With such pace, strength and kindness, it is a prize that even the toughest hard-watching bookmaker would be nervous about spending a lot of money.
The Solskjaer team will have had six days to prepare for this showdown and there are no new injury issues. Alex Tuanzebe, Phil Jones and Luke Shaw were offside for the rest of the season due to injury.
Victor Lindelof and Matic Look prepare to return to the starting line-up in the semi-finals after resting for the win over Copenhagen.
Sergio Romero has played in nine of the 11 Europa League games, however, Solskjaer can make the decision to accept as true with David de Gea in one of his most important matches of the season.
Sevilla is back in a full team after midfielder Nemanja Gudelj, who tested positive for COVID-19 on his return to education to prepare for the Europa League, traveled to Germany on Thursday after an era of isolation and a negative test.
Former Manchester City pair Jesus Navas and Fernando will begin, as will lively Suso, who made 21 appearances for Liverpool, an era largely unsuccessful in the Premier League.