Fernandes hat trick sees United through to last eight of Europa League
NERVELESS: Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes scores their side's second goal of the game from the penalty spot during the UEFA Europa League round of sixteen second leg match at Old Trafford, Manchester. Pic: Nick Potts/PA Wire
BRUNO Fernandes - who else? - ensured that Manchester United’s season to forget retains an interest in silverware, for a few more weeks at least, in a Europa League tie dominated by penalties and his personal hat-trick.
Thankfully, after losing to Fulham in the FA Cup in a shoot-out at the start of the month, United did not require that drama to determine who advanced to the last eight of a tournament that could still salvage their season.
But, after Fernandes conceded one spot kick in last week’s 1-1 first leg draw, the United captain scored two last night, helping United fight back after Sociedad had, themselves, taken the lead from the spot, through their own skipper, Mikel Oyarzabal.
On a busy night for the officials, Sociedad ensured United ultimately had a comfortable passage, playing the final half hour with ten men after substitute Jon Aramburu was shown a straight red card.
And in the 86th minute, with the visitors pressing forward, Alejandro Garnacho slipped Fernandes clear and his skipper was able to finish his hat-trick from 12 yards.
In the first minute of stoppage time, Diogo Dalot completed the rout, finishing emphatically from 15 yards after being picked out by Rasmus Hojlund’s pass.
Yet, United had to respond to the worst possible start as, just like last week’s first leg, VAR awarded Sociedad a penalty seemingly out of nothing.
Aritz Elustondo drilled over a low cross which beat Andre Onana and looked like being converted by Oyarzabal until Matthijs de Ligt slid in and won a free-kick for what appeared to be a foul by the Real striker.
But VAR had other ideas and, on checking the monitor, French referee Benoit Bastien judged - correctly, so it seemed on review - that de Ligt had, in fact, tripped the striker.
After a predictable delay, and tempestuous on-field scenes, Oyarzabal stepped up and sent Onana the wrong way from the spot, to the delight of small but noisy visiting support at the same end.
But, to their credit, the United crowd responded with ferocity to their side falling behind in that fashion and, after Garnacho and Patrick Dorgu had both threatened, they were level just six minutes later.
Again, the goal came from the penalty spot, in an almost copy-cat incident, after Igor Zubeldia hauled down Hojlund six yards out, as the United striker was about to meet a Fernandes cross.
There was no need for VAR intervention on this occasion, Bastien pointing instantly to the spot and Fernandes clinically smashing in his 13th goal of the season from the spot.
It was a dramatic start to the night and left us no closer to knowing who would advance to take on Lyon in the quarter-finals.
Casemiro, one of the three players on duty, along with Onana and Hojlund, who had been dishonourably mentioned by owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe as representing bad transfer business this week, almost responded in style soon after, his 18-yard shot whistling just wide.
United, who had handed a first start to 18-year-old defender Ayden Heaven, were in the ascendancy - not always the best place for them to be - although Hojlund’s problems persisted.
Joshua Zirkzee showed brilliant footwork on the half hour to reach the by-line inside the Sociedad box and square for Hojlund who steered his effort just the wrong side of the far post from no more than six yards.
And, before the interval, a well-worked corner saw Fernandes pick out Dorgu, lurking unmarked on the edge of the area, who made a decent effort to keep down a volley that flew just over the Real crossbar.
United were facing their most crucial half of the season to date - and, for once, played like it.
A couple of minutes after the restart, Zirkzee’s powerful shot from the edge of the area was well saved by Alex Remiro but the rebound flew into a dangerous position where Elustondo tripped Dorgu as he was about to latch onto it.
For the second time on the night, Fernandes rolled a superb penalty past Remiro, this time low into the left, rather than right.
United looked impressive, the shaky early start long forgotten, and the lively Dorgu did superbly to win the ball off Elustondo and force Remiro to make a vital diving save to stop the cross reaching Hojlund.
If Garnacho had succeeded in an audacious attempt to intercept a risky pass by Remiro, which would have brought United a third goal, a few minutes later, Old Trafford might have erupted.
Instead, a difficult task for the visitors became nigh on impossible on 62 minutes when substitute Aramburu, on the field for six minutes, was shown a straight red as he hauled down Dorgu, who had broken clear and was heading towards goal, ten yards inside the Sociedad half.
: Onana 6; Mazraoui 7, de Ligt 6, Heaven 7; Dalot 5, Casemiro 7 (Collyer 78, 5), Fernandes 9, Dorgu 8; Zirkzee 8 (Eriksen 88), Garnacho 6; Hojlund 5. Substitutes (not used) Amass, Fletcher, Fredricson, Harrison, Mee, Lindelof, Scanlon, Ugarte.
: Remiro 7; Elustondo 5 (Traore 79, 5), Zubeldia 6 (Aramburu 56), Aguerd 6, Munoz 5; Mendez 6, Zubimendi 7, Marin 5 (Tuirrientes 56, 5); Becker 6 (Barrenetxea 55, 5), Oyarzabal 7, Kubo 8 (Oskarsson 75, 5). Substitutes (not used) Beitia, Gomez, Lopez, Mariezkurrena, Marrero, Martin, Olasagsati.
B Bastien (France) 6
