Manchester United outclass Ajax to win Europa League
By Philip O'Connor
STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Manchester United's Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored a goal in each half as their team outclassed Ajax Amsterdam to win an emotional Europa League final 2-0 and qualify for the group stages of next season's Champions League.
There was silence and then applause before the game to honour the victims of Monday's deadly attack at a pop concert in Manchester in which 22 people died and both sides then played a final full of pride and passion at the Friends Arena.
World record signing Pogba opened the scoring in the 18th minute as United won the ball after an Ajax throw-in, the Frenchman's shot taking a wicked deflection to wrong foot goalkeeper Andre Onana and fly into the net.
Mkhitaryan then flicked the ball home early in the second half following a United corner, and with chants of "Manchester! Manchester!" echoing around the stadium, United held on to win the only European trophy missing from the Old Trafford cabinet.
(Reporting by Philip O'Connor; editing by Ken Ferris)