Manchester United were in control of this tie as soon as last week’s opening leg finished 4-0 in their favour. To Real Sociedad’s credit, they came to play and Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side did an efficient job of containing the Spaniards and thus can be happy with a clean sheet and the knowledge they are safely into Friday’s last-16 draw.
Whoever United are paired with will hardly relish facing them as they seek to go further than the semi-final, one of three reverses at that stage last season.
“This group feels hurt, and wants to go further,” said Solskjær. “We’ve had a few setbacks and knocks, but it lifts us. If you fail in three semis, you want to do better and improve. It’s exciting. It’s a group of players that will improve, because we’re still a young team.
“From now until the international break we have seven or eight games [including] Chelsea, Leicester, Manchester City, West Ham, [Crystal] Palace: all important games, and then who knows who we will draw so these three weeks are massive but we are a good team.”
The margin of United’s advantage meant this was an exercise in professionalism before Sunday’s trip to Chelsea, especially given Sociedad’s intent. When Aihen Muñoz crossed from the left United were in momentary disarray before Nemanja Matic cleaned up. This seemed the warning United needed as they took control for a passage,but Dan James was tempted into a lunge on Andoni Gorosabel who went down in the area – the latter appeared to initiate this by sticking a leg out – and Lawrence Visser, the referee, awarded a penalty. Here justice may have been served as Mikel Oyarzabal’s penalty was skied and United escaped.
United were a menace going forward. Sociedad were shredded with one razor-sharp move in which Mason Greenwood lobbed the ball to Fred, whose turn-back found a lurking Bruno Fernandes. His shot from distance was classy and only Alejandro Remiro’s bar saved his team.
Sociedad continued to offer far more than in last week’s drubbing. Alexander Isak’s pace was a next test for United and Eric Bailly in particular, and the centre-back showed good pace to ease the ball under his control. James’s recent resurgence could be seen in his six goals in 12 appearances at kick-off and he came close to adding another. His clever run was spied by the ever-crafty Fernandes whose sand-wedge of a pass was placed precisely on to the Welshman’s head and only Remiro’s reflexes kept the ball out.
For the second half Solskjær made a triple change. On came Marcus Rashford, Brandon Williams and Axel Tuanzebe for Fernandes, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Fred.
Rashford’s impact was instant: he floated a ball into Anthony Martial and the centre-forward was fouled 30 yards out. Rashford’s free-kick was a swerving shot that befuddled Remiro and was only just wide. Sociedad’s riposte was to move upfield and Modibo Sagnan headed against Dean Henderson’s bar in one of the defensive scrambles United often find themselves in. This period was akin to a hockey match as each side took turns to skate downfield and take aim.
Greenwood was next to do so, dropping a shoulder, moving inside and unloading at range, Remiro saving well low down. The youngster is a natural near goal and his next trick was to use quick feet to bedazzle Sociedad’s defence in constricted space in the area, the only disappointment his hitting the side-netting from so close in. Greenwood, who is 19, was joined by United’s latest teenage starlet, the 18-year-old Amad Diallo, who replaced the injured James for the last half hour. The Ivorian soon saw Tuanzebe have a header chalked off after Victor Lindelöf kneed Jon Bautista’s head from Alex Telles’s corner.
“We will have to check on him tonight,” the manager said of James. “Scot [McTominay], Donny [van de Beek], Edinson [Cavani] we hope they can be available for the weekend. Paul [Pogba] is still out for a few weeks.”
When Shola Shoretire entered for the last 15 minutes and joined Diallo this showed a freshness about Solskjær’s ever-evolving squad that augurs well. At 17 years and 23 days, Shoretire became United’s youngest ever footballer in continental competition, lowering Norman Whiteside’s previous record of 17 years and 108 days, which was set in 1983.
Solskjær said: “Shola has got some skills, he’s going to make a very good player here. Anyone who signs here has a chance if they have the right attitude and listens to the coaches. [Tonight] is something for him to remember something to build on.”
