With 10 minutes to go at Old Trafford last week, Europa League bogart Sevilla were locked in the sniper scope, primed to be wiped out in their quarter-final against their illustrious opponents before the first leg was even done.
Manchester United’s St Anfield’s Day massacre seemed like a lifetime ago. Four successive wins was on the horizon. Everything was rosy once again in Erik ten Hag’s oranje revival.
Two calamitous late own goals and a devastating injury to one of United’s pivotal revolutionaries, Lisandro Martinez, later and United’s entire season suddenly felt in the balance. Again.
United should be basking in the Sevillian sunshine today ahead of their return leg, knowing the job is almost done and there would be no pressure on Marcus Rashford to be rushed back to carry their forward line.
With crucial fixtures against three fellow top four hopefuls within the next two weeks and a FA Cup semi-final to contend with, being able to take their foot off the gas for the second leg, even by just 10 per cent, to sail through to the last four could have been restorative, given what is else is coming up.
Instead, after a delayed flight didn’t get them off to a smooth start, United are in southern Spain fully aware the Europa League’s most successful club are ready to do what they do in Europe’s secondary competition, and Ten Hag is left racking his brains on how to lift what is a shell of a squad.
One trophy is already in the bag, but if United fall flat in Andalusia, and their bad form continues into the upcoming crucial matches, finishing outside the top four, which is still a real possibility, and having only the Carabao Cup to show for their trials and tribulations in a brutal season, will not feel near enough.
“I think we played for over 60 minutes [of the first leg] quite well,” Ten Hag said. “Then the last 30 minutes we became passive. It’s not acceptable. We know that.
“We want to compete with the best and know we have to progress even more. We know what to expect tomorrow, in this competition especially. But I’m confident we can score goals and have the players to get us through.”
Sevilla were staring at the very real prospect of relegation from La Liga this season, having been ever present in the top flight since returning to the division in 2001-02. However, a recent revival under their third coach of the campaign, Jose Luis Mendilibar, helped pull them clear of the drop zone.
The manner of the goals at Old Trafford used up all their fair share of luck for the season, but they deserve credit for not giving in – a feature of Mendilibar’s approach that is to keep the ball coming into the penalty area with as much regularity as possible.
With both first-choice defenders out, creator-in-chief Bruno Fernandes suspended and Rashford being patched up as we speak, Christian Eriksen’s return to fitness is timely for United.
Lost among Rashford’s goals and Casemiro’s assimilation to life in England, the Dane’s role in United’s sooner-than-expected revival was overlooked by many earlier in the campaign.
How to watch Sevilla vs Manchester United
There is no time to slowly get back up to speed for Eriksen, though, even after all he has been through. The games, and the effect they have on how this season is judged, do not allow for such.
“A year ago, I was dreaming about being where I am today,” Eriksen said. “But back then it was just a dream to be playing at all.
“I enjoyed when I came here and I am enjoying it even more now. We already have one trophy, but the aim is still so much more.”
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