Marcus Rashford was 25 yards from goal when Casemiro sent him a cross at the Estadio Benito Villamarín last night. Only Real Betis could tell you why one of the hottest forwards in Europe right now went unmarked.
Perhaps because it seemed that there was no imminent threat. Perhaps because Rashford had just missed two one-on-ones in the space of three minutes at the start of the second half.
But players like him will only let you get away so many times. Rashford controlled the ball and used the time and space he had to hit one touch and then another. He looked up and unleashed a devastating right-footed diving shot past Rui Silva and into the post.
And that was it. Game over. If he hadn’t finished already, of course. A three-goal lead from the first leg at Old Trafford last week meant that many had written United’s name into Friday’s quarter-final draw and written off the Spaniards some time ago. Only twice in Europa League history have teams come back from deficits as big or bigger to progress.
United kept Betis out in a rather hectic first half and went into the break with that lead intact. But the supporters here still believed, still roared for their team in this wonderfully atmospheric stadium in Seville, particularly in the first half when United’s game management was poor and offered their opponents a way back into the tie.
A shot outside the box by Marcus Rashford made the difference in Seville as the Man United striker punished Real Betis
United had been tested during the round of 16 fixture and there was a sense of relief when they finally found a way past the hosts’ defence.
Rashford (left) appeared to share a joke with United boss Erik ten Hag (right) after being substituted in the second half.
Then Rashford struck and the life drained from them. Only a rather gloomy drumbeat of the South Goal remained behind Silva’s goal.
It was his 30th goal of the season for club and country, his 27th for United and his 19th goal in 24 games since the World Cup.
“That tells you something about the performance of the team, and it tells you something about him,” Ten Hag said.
“If he keeps the focus and makes sure he has the energy, the way he has to play in that system and style, he’s going to put himself in goal-scoring positions.” So it’s about him: he has the ability to finish off.
‘Rashy had a few chances before and missed a few, but he kept his faith. He kept trying and got the reward from him.
‘All good forwards know that not all the chances they have are goals. But at this level, you don’t create five or six chances in a game, so one of you has to be in.’
United have now gone to Real Betis, Barcelona and Real Sociedad, three of the top five teams in La Liga, this season and avoided defeat, winning twice and drawing once. That is not a feat.
It turned out to be a good night for Ten Hag. He risked playing with Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes and both players avoided the booking that would have sent them out of the first leg of the quarterfinals.
Juanmi (green top) should have scored on this early opportunity that saw his shot go wide of David de Gea’s goal.
Facundo Pellistri impressed in his first senior start for Manchester United and looked like a threat on the right wing throughout.
Erik ten Hag (left) was furious in the first period of play as United conceded chances and looked vulnerable at back.
He was able to give Facundo Pellistri a first absolute ownership as a prize for the progress of the young Uruguayan winger. Pellistri was full of energy and effort, although he lacked a bit of penetration until the second half, when he helped set up one of Rashford’s chances.
There was also an escape for Harry Maguire, who worked hard alongside Lisandro Martínez to hold off Betis before the break, although his lack of opportunities still points to a summer exit.
“Listen, I work hard in training and that’s all you can do,” Maguire said afterwards. ‘It hasn’t been long since my last match, it was just a couple of weeks ago. Obviously I want to play more and start more, but I’m doing my part on and off the pitch.
‘They have been two good matches. Betis is fifth in LaLiga and they threw everything at us. We expected a fast start from them. We knew that if we didn’t concede in the first 20 minutes, a large part of the game would have been well done.”
United were very busy in a first half that focused on preventing Betis from scoring the goal that would reignite this tie. Benito Villamarín was loud enough without needing further encouragement, but United made it through with some sloppy passes and a lack of composure.
The goal Betis longed for almost came in the eighth minute when Juanmi slipped past Maguire and touched the ball past David de Gea, but it rolled off the wrong side of the post.
The United goalkeeper then deflected a long shot from Joaquín and derailed Juanmi, who had another shot blocked by Maguire.
United posed little threat until just before the interval, failing to get a first-half shot on goal for the first time this season, but could have easily led at the interval.
Real Betis captain Joaquín (pictured), 41, hit the post with an early shot that was initially deflected by Casemiro.
United’s Dutch striker Wout Weghorst deflected this stretching effort towards the post late in the first half in Spain.
Wout Weghorst hit the post on virtually the last shot of the half, nailing the ball to the post after deflecting Pellistri’s volley off a Fernandes free-kick.
Fernandes set up Rashford for back-to-back chances early in the second half, on either side of De Gea’s reflex save to avoid Ayoze Pérez’s header.
The first time, Rashford went low and Silva was right up there. The second time he went up high, but his effort overcame the bar.
The third effort a minute later came out of nowhere and was pretty devastating.