Villarreal 1-1 Manchester United (11-10 after pens): Hits and Flops as Red Devils suffer calamitous shootout defeat | UEFA Europa League Final 2021
Villarreal and Manchester United locked horns in the UEFA Europa League final at the PGE Arena in Gdansk. In what was an intriguing encounter that required spot-kicks to decide a winner, Unai Emery spearheaded the Yellow Submarine to their first-ever European trophy, as they won 11-10 on penalties after canceling each other out 1-1 over 120 minutes of football.
Manchester United started the game on the front foot but failed to create too many chances, with Mason Greenwood and Paul Pogba impressing for the Red Devils in the opening exchanges. Villarreal, on the other hand, were sloppy in possession and failed to retain the ball, as Carlos Bacca and Gerard Moreno were largely isolated upfront.
However, Unai Emery's side shook Manchester United and broke the deadlock in style, as Dani Parejo's lofted ball freekick was slotted into the back of the net by Moreno. The Spaniard has been one of the best attackers in Europe this season and gave his side a precious lead going into the interval.
Manchester United piled on the pressure in the second half and scored the equalizer through Edinson Cavani. Villarreal failed to clear their lines from the corner and the ball reached Marcus Rashford at the edge of the box, whose shot ricocheted into the path of the Red Devils hitman. Cavani made no mistake from close range, as he restored parity on the night to give his side a much-needed confidence booster.
Neither side was able to find a goal in normal time, as extra time was enforced after the two sides canceled each other out in the closing stages of the game. Both Emery and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made a raft of changes in added time, but the game went to penalties after a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes of football.
The penalty shootout proved to be one for the ages, as it ended 11-10 in favor of Villarreal. All ten outfield players had converted their respective spot-kicks, meaning it was up to the goalkeepers to step up from six yards. Villarreal goalkeeper Rulli scored his penalty emphatically and turned out to be the hero moments later, as he saved David de Gea's spot-kick and won the game for his side.
Emery got his hands on the UEFA Europa League for the fourth time in his career, making him the most decorated coach in the history of the competition. As for Solskajer and Manchester United, their deflating defeat means they are set to finish another season without silverware, with their last trophy coming under Jose Mourinho in 2017.
In what proved to be a historic night for Villarreal as they prevailed over Manchester United in Gdansk, here are the hits and flops from the game.
HIT - Raul Albiol | Villarreal
On the biggest stage, the Villarreal captain marshaled his backline magnificently and led from the front. While his central defensive partner Pau Torres also produced an impressive display, Raul Albiol was clearly the leader of the side and was up for the challenge right from the get-go.
He fought tooth and nail with the Manchester United attackers and finished with a pass accuracy of 93%, while he also made 10 clearances and won three out of his four aerial duels. The Spanish defender might be in the twilight years of his career, but he stepped up when his team needed him the most and proudly hoisted the trophy over his head after the game.
Also kept a cool head and scored a penalty in the shootout.
FLOP - Bruno Fernandes | Manchester United
With Harry Maguire only fit enough for a place on the bench, Bruno Fernandes was entrusted with the captain's armband for Manchester United. The Portuguese midfielder has been the Red Devils' talisman this season, but he produced one of his worst displays in a long time.
Fernandes failed to create chances for the likes of Rashford, Cavani and Mason Greenwood, while he was also sloppy in possession. Manchester United failed to create too many chances in the game and a large part of it was down to the Portuguese international, who failed to step up to the plate in a cup final.
The 26-year-old calmly dispatched his penalty in the shootout, but he finished the game with zero big chances created, a clear indication that it wasn't his night despite his best efforts.