THE NOTEBOOK: Verbals backfire for Maguire, howlers could cost De Gea and Pope is Martinez fan
THE NOTEBOOK: Misery for Man United captain Harry Maguire as his words backfire, roars can cost David de Gea in contract talks and Pope Francis is a fan of defender Lisandro Martinez
Europa League kings Sevilla passed Manchester United in the semi-finals of their league of choice as Youssef En Nesyri scored twice in a dominant 3-0 win on Thursday to complete a 5-2 aggregate victory.
And Nesyri opened the scoring in the eighth minute, scoring a shot from close range after Erik Lamela challenged Harry Maguire on the edge of the box.
Sevilla extended their lead immediately after the break when defender Loic Bade scored with a towering header from a corner kick that went in over the crossbar.
And Nesyri rounded off victory in the 81st minute after United goalkeeper David De Gea failed to field a long ball over the top and the Moroccan striker rounded off well to take the Spanish side closer to a record-extending seventh win in the league. to take.
Mail Sport’s JOE BERNSTEIN takes a look at some things you may have missed.
An early snap from Harry Maguire towards the officials was soon followed by a blunder
Verbal backfires for Maguire
Erik Ten Hag wanted Harry Maguire to be louder as Manchester United captain, but it didn’t work in the defender’s favor as an early mouthful to match officials was quickly followed by the blunder that saw Sevilla go through.
Maguire, who has been accused of being too passive wearing the armband, was first on the scene when Marcel Sabitzer was knocked down by Marcao and quickly verbally volleyed the referee and his assistant when the Sevilla player was not penalized.
Things didn’t look quite natural and on the next attack, Maguire lost his concentration to surrender possession, allowing Youssef En-Nesyri to score.
Maguire had better stick to his counsel and focus on the basics of defending!
Figures don’t add up for De Gea
As negotiating tactics go, David de Gea’s bawlers in Spain are likely to see the club deduct nothing from their contract offer, rather than adding one.
De Gea is already facing a hefty cut to his current £375,000-a-week deal and Erik ten Hag may not be too disappointed if the Spaniard decides to move on.
De Gea’s kicking is considered a problem within the game and his decision to pass to Harry Maguire was criticized by TV pundit Robbie Savage, who asked why he had not passed to Aaron wan-Bissaka.
Things went from bad to worse after that as he clawed at nothing as Loic Bade’s head-cum-shoulder sailed over his head for the home side’s second goal.
Pope Francis is a Martinez fan
Injured United defender Lisandro Martinez has fans in high places as he recovers from a broken metatarsal suffered in the first leg against Sevilla.
Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham presented Pope Francis with a signed No. 6 shirt from his fellow Argentine and World Cup winner.
Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham presented Pope Francis with a signed Martinez shirt
Smile better for Lamela
Christian Eriksen and Erik Lamela signed for Tottenham on the same day in August 2013 when Daniel Levy spent the club’s Gareth Bale money and they spent seven years together at White Hart Lane, including a run-up to the Champions League final.
Eriksen had a happier time in North London, but as Europa League rivals it was Lamela who smiled as he assisted for Sevilla’s first goal as the Dane struggled.
Bade shines after Forest woe
Nottingham Forest fans will wonder how Loic Bade is good enough to score against Manchester United in the Europa League, yet not be deemed worthy of one Premier League match for their relegation battlers.
Bade joined Forest on loan from Rennes last summer, but was given no minutes before he was allowed to move to Seville.
No way back for Telles
One United player who was happy with the result was left-back Alex Telles, who is on loan to Sevilla on loan and the tie was already over for the home side.
There is little chance the Brazilian will ever appear in a red shirt at Old Trafford – he sees his future abroad and no one at Old Trafford will fight to change his mind
Six of the best
Seville is undoubtedly the king of Europe.
Since its predecessor the UEFA Cup was introduced in 1971, the Spaniards have won the competition six times – double that of all others.
All six of their wins have been achieved since 2006 when they beat Middlesbrough 4-0 in Eindhoven to begin their impressive run.
They beat Espanyol a year later, then Benfica in 2014, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in 2015, Liverpool in 2016 and Inter Milan in 2020.
