Man United s seal resounding Europa League win
Manchester United will have been desperate to respond to their humiliating loss to Liverpool as quickly as possible, and they did that in some style with a 4-1 Europa League last-16 first-leg win over Real Betis.
Much of the build-up to this fixture was dominated by frank assessments of that embarrassing loss at Anfield and an insistence from manager Erik ten Hag that it would not define their season. It felt significant that Ten Hag picked the same starting lineup from that Premier League loss to the Reds, and if he had wanted a response, he got it.
United were ahead after only six minutes. Bruno Fernandes, restored to a No.10 role here after playing wide against Liverpool, had a cross cut out and the ball fell to Marcus Rashford. A quick shift to his right foot and a ferocious strike later, and the England star was celebrating his 26th goal of the season.
Man United s seal resounding Europa League win
Yet Betis, who held Real Madrid to a draw in their previous La Liga match, struck back in the first half. Leicester City loanee Ayoze Perez rifled a precise strike across David de Gea’s goal from the right and into the bottom corner, giving Manuel Pellegrini’s men an equaliser with their first shot on target.
Perez saw a shot deflected onto the post just before the break and there was a sense of nervousness around Old Trafford given United’s second-half collapse at Anfield. This time, though, it was Ten Hag’s side who blew their opponents away after the restart.
Fernandes turned expertly away from veteran Joaquin and played it wide to Antony. Fullback Abner allowed his compatriot to cut inside onto his left foot, and he curled an exquisite finish beyond Claudio Bravo.
It was 3-1 six minutes later, Fernandes getting the goal his performance deserved, his header from Luke Shaw’s corner too powerful for Bravo to keep out.
The biggest cheer of the night came in the closing moments, as Wout Weghorst swept home his first Old Trafford goal after Bravo had saved from Scott McTominay. The striker was close to tears as he was mobbed by teammates and the United fans roared their approval as his name was read out over the tannoy.
Betis simply had no response and United could easily have scored more, but this is a result that puts them in a commanding position ahead of the return fixture in Seville next week.
Man United vs Real Betis score
| 1H | 2H | Final | |
| Man United | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Real Betis | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Goals:
MAN UNITED — Marcus Rashford — 6 mins
REAL BETIS — Ayoze Perez — 32 mins
MAN UNITED — Antony — 52 mins
MAN UNITED — Bruno Fernandes — 58 mins
MAN UNITED — Wout Weghorst — 82 mins
Man United vs Real Betis analysis
Bruno Fernandes responds like a leader
Not many players come out of a 7-0 defeat without facing a fair amount of scrutiny, but much of the post-Anfield inquest has fallen on the performance — and attitude — of Bruno Fernandes. He was labelled “embarrassing” by former United captain Gary Neville for an ineffective and petulant performance, and there were some vitriolic condemnations in plenty of other broadcasts, columns and social media posts, many of which questioned why Fernandes was captaining the team.
Against Betis, he showed why.
Fernandes was involved in all four of United’s goals, his output on the ball back to its most effective levels. He linked play superbly between the attack and midfield, and he covered the space across the middle third whenever Betis had the ball, at one point winning a tackle before juggling the ball over his opponent’s head before laying it off to a teammate. It was also his quick reactions in his own box that saw Perez’s shot deflect onto the post when it looked certain Betis would score.
There was one rash moment when he was booked for catching Bravo as he tried to stretch for a loose ball, but this was otherwise a case of Fernandes letting his ability with the ball do the talking, with no whinging or arm-waving in sight. According to ex-United midfielder Owen Hargreaves, Fernandes was “unplayable” in the second half. He certainlty silenced a few doubters.
Wout Weghorst gets the sweetest of just deserts
There may not be a more popular goalscorer all season for Manchester United than Wout Weghorst. Before tonight, his only goal for the club came in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal against Nottingham Forest back on January 25, and that was at the City Ground. Against Betis, after seeing a close-range shot deflected wide before missing almost an open goal (okay, he was offside anyway), Weghorst must have wondered if he would ever score at Old Trafford.
It only made the moment all the sweeter when it finally arrived. Facundo Pellistri did brilliantly with a run and cross, Scott McTominay was denied by Bravo, but Weghorst made no mistake with the rebound. The pure, unbridled joy and relief on his face, the knee-slide in the snow, the tears welling as his teammates mobbed him — it was a moment he will not forget in a hurry.
Sure, Weghorst is not the long-term solution to United’s No.9 problem — it’s why he was only signed on loan — but he has worked tirelessly for Ten Hag and proven himself a useful option. He deserved his moment in front of the Stretford End.
Man United vs Real Betis commentary, highlights from Europa League
Confirmed lineups:
Man United (4-2-3-1, right to left): 1-De Gea (GK) — 20-Dalot, 19-Varane, 6-Martinez, 23-Shaw — 18-Casemiro, 17-Fred — 21-Antony, 27-Weghorst, 8-Fernandes — 10-Rashford
Man United subs: 22-Heaton (GK), 5-Maguire, 28-Pellistri, 49-Garnacho, 31-Butland (GK), 73-Mainoo, 2-Lindelof, 39-McTominay, 25-Sancho, 29-Wan-Bissaka, 12-Malacia, 36-Elanga
Real Betis (4-2-3-1, right to left): 1-Bravo (GK) — 23-Sabaly, 16-Pezzella, 19-Luiz Felipe, 20-Abner — 14-Carvalho, 5-Rodriguez —11-Luis Henrique, 17-Joaquin, 7-Juanmi — 21-Perez
Real Betis subs: 25-Martin (GK) 12-Willian Jose, 9-Iglesias, 37-Perez, 3-E. Gonzalez, 6-Ruiz, 13-Rui Silva (GK), 28-Rodri, 24-Ruibal, 18-Guardado, 10-Canales, 33-Miranda
