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Manchester United travelled to Spain to take on Sevilla in the return leg of the Europa League quarter-final.
The first game saw United throw away a two-goal lead to give Sevilla an avenue back into the tie and to set up a thriller at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium.
Erik ten Hag named the same starting XI as he did against Nottingham Forest on Sunday with the exception of Marcel Sabitzer who came in for the suspended Bruno Fernandes.
It’s a bench role for Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw tonight as Marcel Sabitzer replaces Bruno Fernandes in the starting eleven. #ManUtd #MUFC #EL #ThePeoplesPerson pic.twitter.com/4B9vBbRcIh
— The Peoples Person (@_peoplesperson_) April 20, 2023
Sabitzer was due to start against Forest but picked up a small injury. Christian Eriksen replaced the Austrian against Steve Cooper’s men and produced a brilliant performance.
Here are three things we learned from Manchester United’s 3-0 loss against Sevilla.
Harry Maguire and David de Gea are huge liabilities
Sevilla had the best possible start in the eighth minute when Youssef En-Nesyri found the back of the net.
The Moroccan capitalized on a moment of madness between David de Gea and Harry Maguire to give his side the lead and one foot inside the semi-finals of the competition.
A clueless De Gea passed the ball to an equally oblivious Maguire who was not aware of the presence of three Sevilla players around him.
The English defender was quickly harried off the ball before En-Nesyri tapped it in from close range. De Gea just stood there and could only watch as his and Maguire’s mistakes were ruthlessly punished.
As he was against Forest, Maguire was extremely shaky and radiated panic throughout the backline. He was constantly dragged out of position and whenever on the ball, aggressively pressed.
The United captain seemed out of place and only a pale image of the ever-reliable and dependable Lisandro Martinez.
De Gea ceded possession multiple times from goal kicks and failed to command his box. That Sevilla looked so dangerous from set pieces was hardly a surprise to anyone.
Sevilla’s third of the game came from a horrendous howler from the 32-year-old who rushed out of his goal in a pathetic attempt to clear the ball only to put it in En-Nesyri’s path. The Sevilla striker cleverly chipped the ball into an empty net.
Maguire and De Gea are mistake-laden players capable of costing their colleagues at any moment and against Sevilla, they did just that. With reports swirling that Maguire could be on his way out of the club at the end of the season, De Gea should also be in line to face the same fate.
The concerning thing is that the Spaniard looks set for an extended Old Trafford stay with a new contract on the horizon – surely a huge mistake by all accounts. De Gea’s mistakes against Sevilla should be a timely reminder to the club that he should go as soon as possible.
Questions need to be asked of Jadon Sancho
While in no way was the defeat solely on Sancho’s shoulders, questions need to be asked of the winger and what he brings to the team.
The 23-year-old barely had any impact before being taken off during the break. He was replaced by Marcus Rashford.
Sancho just seems unable to do anything meaningful and is bereft of any confidence. He was simply uninspiring and it was no surprise that he was one of the first players to be taken off.
The winger picked up where he left off at the City Ground on Sunday and at this point, serious doubts are mounting over his usefulness to the team and whether he has a future at the Theatre of Dreams.
United legend Dimitar Berbatov alluded to this. The Bulgarian remarked that while club staff are working hard to improve the team and the player, Sancho must also accept accountability.
In Rashford’s absence due to injury and Wout Weghorst relegated to a place on the bench, Sancho has now had a run of games to prove his worth. He has firmly failed the test and he does not merit a start on this form.
Before the game, Ten Hag remarked that players must earn their place in the team. The United boss said, “No one has the right to play in the team, you have to deserve it. Now they have the opportunity to earn it and it’s great for those that haven’t played that much.”
Erik ten Hag: “No one has the right to play in the team, you have to deserve it. Now they have the opportunity to earn it and it’s great for those that haven’t played that much.” [@btsportfootball] https://t.co/UXnMVhmyXg
— RedUnited🇶🇦 (@RedUnitedFC) April 20, 2023
It must be said that Sancho is not living up to the billing and a solution must be sought.
United out of the Europa League
United’s 3-0 loss in Spain and 5-2 defeat on aggregate means that they are now out of the Europa League – a defeat that the Red Devils brought on themselves.
No doubt the postmortem will begin tomorrow with all focus now on the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley against Brighton on Sunday.
United have plenty to improve on before then if they want to avoid another disappointment and come crashing out of yet another competition.
Areas of improvement are visible for all to see they should be worked on. United cannot afford to falter again when they face the Seagulls, who are on an incredible upward trajectory under Roberto De Zerbi.
