Europa League: Man United Burn La Liga Again

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  • Triumph 5-1 over Spanish side, Real Betis

Marcus Rashford’s second-half missile gave Manchester United a 1-0 victory at Real Betis after a shaky start as the Red Devils advanced to the quarter-finals of the Europa League with a whopping 5-1 aggregate scoreline over the Spanish side.

Their 1-0 win in the second leg on Thursday was more than enough for the Erik Ten Hag men to burn La Liga again as they follow up their victory over Barcelona victory in the last knockout round with an easy Real Betis triumph.

However, the impressive aggregate scoreline cannot hide the fact that the Premiership side were overwhelmed for much of the first half and only fortunate not to concede at least a goal before the break.

In the match where Rashford’s goal made the difference, Skipper Harry Maguire and keeper David de Gea were also crucial to Manchester United earning a 1-0 victory (5-1 aggregate) in a cauldron of Real Betis’ noise.

Far from discouraged by the three-goal deficit they were chasing from the first leg, the Spanish team caused United a lot of problems, particularly in the first half. Veteran Joaquin got the better of a sluggish Casemiro and struck the outside of the post. Then, Juanmi burst through on goal against De Gea, but the Spaniard stood tall against his compatriot.

Against the run of play, Rashford’s goal tamed the vociferous home crowd and fully settled the Red Devils down as they comfortably booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

No doubt, Ten Hag men have inflicted pain on La Liga this term, eliminating Barcelona and Real Betis back-to-back. He also defeated Real Sociedad in the group stage after Sociedad had earned a controversial victory earlier in the round.

United’s come-backing captain, Maguire has been a figure of fun for a long time now and, in addition to being the butt of many jokes, he must find it so tough to watch so many games from the bench. But on Thursday night, he was in commanding form and rarely put a foot wrong.

He played with his head, making sure he was always in the right position, and did not allow himself to be run ragged by Betis’ speedy forwards Juanmi and Aitor Ruibal. Making a super-brave block from a shot by Juanmi, the England international was constantly cutting out dangerous passes and this was a night to restore some pride.

LOSER: La Liga teams in Europe
Manchester United have come up against three La Liga teams in the Europa League this season and after six matches the balance reads four wins, one draw, and one defeat.

They outplayed runaway league leaders, Barcelona for much of their play-off tie and, aside from the testing first half in Seville, were pretty much dominant against Betis, who are fifth on the La Liga log

Though they did lose to Real Sociedad at Old Trafford, United got their revenge in the away leg, and ultimately finished second in their group to the Basques. But overall, United have bossed Spanish counterparts in the competition.

And that is saying something, as United had been knocked out of Europe by Spanish sides in the previous five seasons. Sweet, sweet revenge. In this form, they will be hoping to face Sevilla in the quarter-finals.

WINNER: David de Gea
De Gea was one of the few United players who had performed badly in the first leg, and Ten Hag admitted after the 4-1 win that he could not ignore his goalkeeper’s poor kicking.

But as he did against Southampton, De Gea was superb, stopping everything Betis threw at him. He has often been treated unfairly by the Spanish press for his performances for the national team, so he must be pleased with how he performed back in his homeland.

WINNER: Marcus Rashford
This was not a vintage Rashford display by any means, and he missed a couple of good chances to score before he eventually broke the deadlock. Indeed, his miss in the second half was material for a 1990s-era blooper video.

But he dusted himself down and barely a minute later bulged the bottom corner of the net with a scorching strike. The goal was not just significant for the balance of the tie. It was Rashford’s 25th goal in Europe and meant he is United’s sixth all-time top scorer in continental competitions, moving ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.

It was also his 27th goal of the season in all competitions and showed that even when he is not enjoying his best game, he is capable of match-winning moments.

LOSER: Manuel Pellegrini
The Chilean coach may have enjoyed some memorable victories over United when he was in charge of Manchester City but he did not come out of this tie looking good.

In both legs, he picked an under-strength team, starting top scorer Borja Iglesias on the bench. By the time he brought the striker on in both matches, it was too late for him to make a difference.

Betis are trying to sneak into La Liga’s top-four and it was clear the Europa League was not his top priority. But a tie against Manchester United means so much to supporters and does not come around often. He should have shown the competition and the occasion more respect. – With Goal.com reports

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