A third semi-final defeat of the season means the Red Devils end the campaign without a silverware once more Manchester United are now enduring their longest run without a trophy in 31 years afterdefeat to Sevilla in the Europa League ensured they would end the 2019-20 campaign empty handed.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were hoping it would be third time lucky in a semi-final after being knocked out in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup last four earlier this season, but a lack of cutting edge and defensive errors cost them once again.
United got things off a flying start, with Bruno Fernandes scoring the Red Devils’ opener inside nine minutes of game play from the penalty spot after Marcus Rashford was brought down in the area by Diego Carlos. But former Liverpool winger Suso (27) levelled things up with a tap-in during an entertaining first half.
United had a host of chances after the break but found Sevilla goalkeeper Bono in superb form.
They were made to pay for their profligacy in front of goal when Sevilla substitute Luuk de Jong scored from close range with 12 minutes left to send the Spanish side through and ensure United reached a series of grim milestones.
For the second goal, Manchester City man Jesus Navas whipped in a cross from the right, with De Jong lurking in between Lindelof and Wan-Bissaka. The full-back in particular stopped moving entirely as the striker tapped the winner home.
It prompted an angry confrontation between Lindelof and Fernandes in the aftermath as United crashed out of another semi-final while Sevilla have reach their sixth Europa League final – two more than any other side in the competition’s history.
The closing stages of the encounter saw Ole Gunnar Solskjaer make a triple substitution, with Dan James, Juan Mata and Fosu-Mensah being introduced.
However, the changes failed to bear any fruits, with the Spanish giants holding on to claim victory.
They have now been eliminated from European competition by Spanish opposition for the third consecutive campaign, also losing to Sevilla in the Champions League last 16 in 2017-18 andBarcelona in the 2018-19 Champions League quarter-finals.
It is the third semi-final defeat for United this season, having lost to Manchester City in the last four of the Carabao Cup in January and toChelsea in last month’s FA Cup semi-final at Wembley. United are now the first team to ever lose both domestic cup semi-finals and a European semi-final in the same season.
Defeat against Sevilla also means the Red Devils finish without a major trophy for a third season in a row – their longest run since four successive seasons without a major trophy between 1985 and 1989.
Julen Lopetegui’s men will now take on the winner between Inter Milan and for a chance to win the European league.The Spanish side have now reached their sixth UEFA Cup/Europa League final, at least two more times than any other side in the history of the competition.
They have won the trophy on every occasion they reached the final, including three times in the last six years.
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