Manchester United left Spain with the hope of winning the Europa League championship intact after a commendable 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad. However, they can absolutely get better results.
If Man United take advantage of the opportunity, this match could have ended before the return match at Old Trafford next week. Instead, Real Sociedad will head to Manchester in the belief that they can reach the quarter-finals of a major tournament for the first time since 1989. This will be a historic achievement for Sociedad. But with the trophy and a place in the Champions League, the "Red Devils" also need this.
"The result could be better, but it could be worse because in the last 20 minutes, I think the whole team was really tired. I felt the team was controlling the game and after the opening goal, we were very close to the second goal.
You feel them very worried at the stadium. But in the end, when the momentum changes, we get tired more easily. We took the game to Old Trafford and tried to win there," Amorim said.
Amorim said it was not wrong, in the first 70 minutes, this was one of Man United's best performances under Amorim. Despite arriving in Spain with a weak squad with almost no reserve players, the "Red Devils" played with unusual control and calmness.
This is a match between a team with the 6th least goals in the Premier League and a team with the 3rd least goals in La Liga. Therefore, it is not surprising that the score was 0-0 in the first half.
However, Man United played better in the first 45 minutes and created the only real chance when Bruno Fernandes witnessed his shot being blocked by Aritz Elustondo right on the goal line. That was the night when the "Red Devils" shortcomings in front of goal were exposed.
Sociedad also have their own problems without their best player Martin Zubimendi. The midfielder was sidelined due to illness, causing La Real to struggle to find stability for a long time.
Man United is also not an effective team and needs luck to score right before the 60th minute. A beautiful combination between Dalot and Alejandro Garnacho created an opportunity for Joshua Zirkzee to score. This was a situation in which goalkeeper Alex Remiro did not play well.
With a score of 1-0, the game is within reach of Man United. With Sociedad tired and their fans complaining in disappointment, it felt like the last 30 minutes would take the visitors to the quarter-finals. However, a series of opportunities were later missed by Man United, especially Garnacho's misfortune. And in the blink of an eye, the game had reversed.
In the 70th minute, Bruno Fernandes let the ball touch his hand after Nayef Aguerd's header. Sociedad were awarded 11m and captain Mikel Oyarzabal did not miss the opportunity to score.
This was a typical match for Man United under Amorim. Even on a night with many positives, he had to reflect on the negative things. Amorim can only hope that his team will not have to pay the price in the second leg at Old Trafford.
