AC Milan 0-1 Manchester United: 5 talking points as Red Devils secure quarter-final berth | UEFA Europa League 2020-21
A second-half strike by Paul Pogba was enough to give Manchester United a 1-0 victory over AC Milan in the second leg of their Europa League Round-of-16 tie on Thursday.
Both sides played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg at Old Trafford last week, with Simon Kjaer's injury-time header canceling out Amad Diallo's early strike.
The big news in the buildup to the game was the fitness of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but the 39-year-old was named to the bench. It was the same story for Pogba, who made a return after a month out.
A slow start to the game saw both sides tread cautiously owing to the delicate balance of the tie. Manchester United fashioned the first chance of the game when Bruno Fernandes and Luke Shaw combined near the Milan penalty area. However, the Portugal international could only blaze over under pressure.
This was as good as it got for the visitors in the first half as AC Milan seized the initiative and dominated proceedings from then on.
The pace of Samu Castillejo and Theo Hernandez caused problems for the Manchester United defense, but the hosts were often let down by poor decision-making in the final third.
A loose pass by Fernandes saw AC Milan launch a devastating counter-attack. However, Castillejo made a hash of the two-on-one situation, allowing Victor Lindelof to prevent a goal with an excellent challenge.
Alexis Saelemaekers forced Dean Henderson into a smart save with a shot from the edge of the box, and there were mild appeals for a penalty from the ensuing corner.
AC Milan had one final chance right on the stroke of halftime. Hakan Calhanoglu sent in a delightful cross into the box after another break, but Rade Krunic missed the target from six yards, albeit under pressure from Harry Maguire.
Paul Pogba came on for the ineffective Marcus Rashford at halftime to mark his first appearance since suffering a thigh strain on 6 February.
The World Cup winner made an immediate impact as he broke the deadlock just two minutes later. The AC Milan defense failed to properly clear their lines in the area, and Pogba was on hand to punish them with a brilliant goal from an acute angle.
This gave Manchester United the advantage and forced the hosts to push forward in search of an equalizer.
Two players with Manchester United links came on in the 65th minute. Ibrahimovic replaced Samu Castillaejo, while the on-loan Diogo Dalot came on for the beleaguered Pierre Kalulu.
Ibrahimovic almost drew his side level when he rose highest to head a cross by Calhanoglu, but Dean Henderson produced a spectacular save from point-blank range to deny the Swede.
Milan created another excellent opportunity when Franck Kessie found himself in a good position to score. However, Lindelof denied him with a pristine challenge on the goalline.
With time running out, Manchester United controlled the tempo of the game to suit their needs, much to the frustration of the hosts. Tempers soon began to fray, as wild lounges became the order of the day.
Pogba had another good chance late in the game but could only direct his header over the net.
The victory sees Manchester United secure their place in the quarterfinals of the Europa League, while AC Milan have just Serie A action to worry about.
Here are five talking points from the game.
#5 AC Milan's bright start to the season has slowly unraveled
AC Milan began the season like a house on fire and brought their brilliant form post-lockdown into the new campaign.
The Rossoneri were unbeaten in their first 15 league matches this term. Combined with the 12 games played post-lockdown, they had a 27-game unbeaten run.
This saw them set the pace in Serie A, with many highlighting the youthful Milan team as potential Scudetto winners. However, a 3-1 loss to Juventus on matchday 16 ended their unbeaten run and four more defeats from 11 matches since then has seen them lose their spot at the summit.
They were also eliminated in the quarterfinal stages of the Coppa Italia by city rivals Inter Milan. This loss to Manchester United means that AC Milan are on the verge of ending the season trophyless.
At this rate, there is no guarantee that they will even finish in the Serie A top four, which would mark a disastrous end to a season that promised so much.
#4 Manchester United hitting top gear at the right moment
Manchester United have been plagued by inconsistencies throughout the season, and it was this Jekyll and Hyde performance that saw the Red Devils drop down to the Europa League.
Nevertheless, the depth of the Manchester United squad means that they are favorites to win the tournament, and their chances have been boosted by the eliminations of the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Napoli.
The win over AC Milan means the Old Trafford outfit are now unbeaten in 14 games in all competitions, with eight clean sheets kept in their last 11 games.
This is the standard expected of Manchester United, and fans will hope that they can keep the good run going and end the season on a high.