Villarreal were crowned Europa League champions after David de Gea saw his penalty saved at the end of a wild shootout which saw 21 successful spot kicks.
Defeat means Manchester United’s wait for a first trophy under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continues.
On this day 22 years ago, the Norwegian wrote himself into club folklore when turning home at the death as Sir Alex Ferguson’s side fought back to win the Champions League and complete the treble.
But May 26, 2021 did not provide another triumphant chapter in United’s success-laden story, with the match ending 1-1 and going to a penalty shootout after Edinson Cavani cancelled out Gerard Moreno’s opener.
All outfield players scored their spot-kicks, as did Villarreal goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli before he then saved De Gea’s penalty to win the shootout 11-10 and secure the first major trophy in the Spanish club’s history.
Man Utd player ratings
By James Mariner
David de Gea 6 (out of 10): Preferred to Henderson but no protection for goal. Little to do after interval or extra time. Unable to stop any of 11 penalties before his miss.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka 6: Sloppy in possession in opening exchanges. Pushed forward more after break and a constant danger with deliveries. Tired in extra time.
Eric Bailly 6: Maintained place of the injured Harry Maguire. Kept occupied by strength of Bacca but did not hide from his duties.
Victor Lindelof 5: Troubled by trickery of teenager Pino and caught out by movement of Moreno for opener. Missed Maguire’s guidance.
Luke Shaw 6: Enjoyed fine campaign but closed down quickly whenever he looked to swing ball in. Found more space after interval but to little impact.
Scott McTominay 7: Sent shot wide before blocking Pino effort from the edge of his own area. Took the game to Villarreal as United recovered and unlucky to lose.
Paul Pogba 5: Pushed back to central midfield role in attempt to dictate play, but minimal impact. Caught Foyth. Headed over in last minute of the 90.
Mason Greenwood 6: Chosen ahead of Fred after recent form. Had a couple of surges but met a yellow wall. Caught in the area by Pedraza but no joy from VAR.
Bruno Fernandes 6: Looked jaded in recent weeks and cut a frustrated figure in the first half. Took on more responsibility as United pressed but muted display.
Marcus Rashford 6: Saw little of the ball early on and forced infield to affect action. His shot fell to Cavani for goal. Scuffed wide thrice and had late injury scare.
Edinson Cavani 7: Strong end to the season but policed well in first half. Fine anticipation to react to loose ball and level early in second period. Always a threat.
Substitutes: Fred came on for the last 20 minutes of extra time, while Dan James, Axel Tuanzebe, Juan Mata and Alex Telles all came on to take penalties. All converted, but to no avail.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3wDnEGo
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