Man United crash out of Europa League after humiliating 3-0 defeat to Sevilla in the quarter-finals
Erik ten Hag’s hopes of leading Manchester United to the Europa League final have been thwarted after Sevilla secured a sensational 3-0 win in Spain on Thursday evening.
The Red Devils led the first-leg quarter-final tie at Old Trafford last week through a Marcel Sabitzer brace before suffering an epic collapse late in the second half against Sevilla.
United arrived at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan with a 2-2 aggregate scoreline and were placed on the back foot inside the opening 10 minutes of the second-leg tie.
Harry Maguire was at fault for the opener after Erik Lamela intercepted his poorly placed pass, which allowed Youssef En-Nesyri to pounce on the mistake.
Advert
Sevilla then doubled their advantage only two minutes into the second half thanks to a sensational header from defender Loic Bade.
Ivan Rakitic fired in a corner from the right and Bade, who was positioned between two United players, directed a looping header towards David de Gea’s net.
A helpless De Gea was unable to stop Bade’s effort as the ball bounced off the underside of the United bar and put Sevilla 2-0 up on the night.
En-Nesyri completed his brace late in the second half after a howler from De Gea, who charged out of his penalty area in a bid to clear a ball which was hoofed over the top from the Sevilla half.
However, De Gea made a complete mess of the clearance and En-Nesyri pounced on the loose ball before slotting it into the empty United net from 35 yards out.
Disaster for Man Utd, as Sevilla strike immediately in the second half through Loic Bade! 💥
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 20, 2023
His header loops over David De Gea and the away side have it all to do now!#UEL pic.twitter.com/mhOtanEPoJ
Nightmare start for Man Utd! 😳
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 20, 2023
It's a mix-up at the back that gifts Sevilla the lead...#UEL pic.twitter.com/PwGAQAjcys
United manager Ten Hag suffered a huge blow going into the second-leg tie after losing first-choice centre-backs Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane to injury.
Varane was subbed off with an injury at half-time in the first leg, while Martinez suffered an injury in the 86th minute of the 2-2 draw.
Martinez, who has been hailed for his impact in the United defence, was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the season after he fractured a metatarsal bone in his foot.
United will now return to action on 23rd April for their FA Cup semi-final clash against Brighton at Wembley.
READ MORE:
Topics: Manchester United, Sevilla, Europa League, Football
Adnan Riaz