For a long time this looked like a European tie that would be won in just one match. Manchester United were so dominant against Sevilla, Spain’s 13th best team, that defeat seemed likely. Two in 21 minutes, an avalanche threatened.
Despite United being poor in the second half of this game, they were comfortable thanks to two early goals from their midfielder Marcel Sabitzer. Indeed, when young defender Tyrell Malacia took aim from 13 yards with eight minutes left, it looked as if their performance would finally be topped with another goal.
But when Malacia couldn’t take his chance, the whole game turned around. A minute later, the same player misjudged a cross on the other side and converted a drop from Jesus Navas to goalkeeper David de Gea into his own goal. That was 2-1 and felt bad enough. But worse was to come.
First United defender Lisandro Martinez fell unchallenged with what appeared to be an Achilles tendon injury. He was carried off, leaving United to play the game with 10 men.
And then, almost unbelievably in the second minute of stoppage time, a cross from the left was headed towards goal by Youssef En-Nesyri, hitting Harry Maguire and beating the flat-footed De Gea on his right.
Harry Maguire scored an unfortunate own goal late as Sevilla fell two goals behind
Tyrell Malacia had turned the ball into his own net a few minutes earlier
The full-back was distraught after letting Sevilla get back into the game late
So United ended the game with four goals to their players’ names, but two of them landed in their own goal. What impact this will have on their season now remains to be seen. It will certainly affect what happens next week.
United have an FA Cup semi-final three days after the second leg of this tie in Spain next Thursday and the chance to rest players in Seville is now well and truly over.
United dominated the first 45 minutes from the first to the last whistle. Sevilla had a terrible lack of possession, their back four were rarely in a straight line and their attempts to follow United’s runners from deep were almost non-existent. United, however, were impressive.
Without Marcus Rashford and Ten Hag’s other available striker Wout Weghorst on the bench, this was an opportunity for Anthony Martial. The Frenchman was also lively, often dropping into deeper and wider positions to feed colleagues who charged forward, often unchecked, from midfield.
On the wing, Antony was also sporadically dangerous and brought in Bounou’s first save of the night in the 15th minute, a shot at the near post that the Sevilla goalkeeper deflected with one hand.
However, the first goal soon fell. United’s pressure was persistent at that stage and when Bruno Fernandes Sabitzer pushed through the middle, the Austrian had time to shoot high to Bounou’s right, despite pressure from centre-back Marcao.
From a Spanish point of view, this game already had an ominous feel. United looked in the mood to complete the tie in 90 minutes and extended their lead just seven minutes later.
Marcel Sabitzer had scored twice in the first half to put United in full control before the break
The midfielder seemed to enjoy playing higher up the field as United started well
This time the build-up was more direct because Martial was allowed to carry the ball from his own half. After turning in the first defender he encountered, Martial was alert to Sabitzer’s charge forward and the through ball was perfect. This time the finish was low to the right of the goalkeeper.
In the 10 or so minutes that followed, there could have been more. A scramble at the post nearly gave Sabitzer a 17th-minute hat-trick. Then another central midfielder, Casemiro, threatened twice, once with a blocked shot and once with a header from a corner kick.
Sevilla held on at this point, but eventually brought in a save from De Gea in the second minute of stoppage time, Tanguy Nianzou delivering a powerful header from a corner which the United goalkeeper parried.
United must have felt a third goal would destroy the tie, but after the break Sevilla finally found a foothold in terms of possession and territory if not opportunities.
The only problem with that was that it gave United a chance to play at half time and when Antony led a strike on the right just after the hour mark he cut inside to crash a left foot shot into the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area. .
Lisandro Martinez turned out to be seriously injured because he had to be helped from the field
Martinez was carried through the tunnel and it is now feared he will be sidelined for a long period of time.
Martinez looks set to miss the second leg and Bruno Fernandes ruled out for suspension after a first-half yellow card at Old Trafford
Still, Sevilla themselves carried a threat and when they did it was usually after they managed to overload the midfield and unleash their full back behind United’s four backs. This was a trick that worked mostly on their right side.
Three substitutes – including the returning Christian Eriksen – tried to lift United again with around 25 minutes remaining, but there was no escaping the fact that a little bit of grit had been taken from their game. United still looked comfortable, but that evaporated in the space of two very poor minutes for young left-back Malacia.
First, the Dutchman seized an opportunity to score his first United goal in the 83rd minute. Then, at the other end, he let a cross go past him at the far post and as Sevilla substitute Navas pulled the ball back over the goal, he hit Malacia and then De Gea to end in the net.
A game that had been so one-sided for so long ended with a very different feeling. United’s sense of deflation only worsened when Martinez was carried off with two minutes remaining – and became overwhelming when Maguire also headed the ball into his own net.