Manchester United Smiles Amidst Penalty Rain

MANCHESTER, FRIDAY -- Four penalty kicks marked the 180-minute duel between Manchester United and Real Sociedad. MU was disadvantaged at first but later benefited. Despite the "rain" of penalties and the referee's generosity, MU performed solidly in the two-match battle.

MU earned the right to advance after defeating the visiting team Sociedad 4-1 in the second leg of the Europa League Round of 16 at Old Trafford Stadium, Friday (14/3/2025) early morning WIB. Bruno Fernandes and his teammates progressed to the quarter-finals with an aggregate score of 5-2.

Fernandes became the hero thanks to his hat-trick achievement in front of his home fans. Both of his goals were scored from penalties that made the hosts win 2-1. "We reacted quickly (after falling behind). That was very good. We just wanted to win," said the team captain.

Referee Benoit Bastien was quite generous from the start of the match. After consulting with the video assistant referee (VAR), he awarded a penalty to the visiting team in the 10th minute. Sociedad took the lead through a strike by forward Mikel Oyarzabal.

Bastien shared with the hosts just four minutes later. He immediately pointed to the penalty spot after forward Rasmus Hojlund was brought down by defender Igor Zubeldia. At the beginning of the second half, with the aggregate tied at 2-2, MU was awarded another penalty thanks to the actions of wing-back Patrick Dorgu.

That is cruel. They are indeed better, but we did not have a (fair) chance to compete. The referee did not allow us to compete. That was not a neutral performance by the referee.

Dorgu nearly won a third penalty for MU in the final 10 minutes of the match. Bastien had already blown the whistle after Dorgu fell in the penalty box, but VAR overturned the decision. Meanwhile, in the first match last week, Sociedad managed to equalize thanks to a penalty kick.

"It was cruel. They were better, but we didn't have a (fair) chance to compete. The referee didn't let us compete. It wasn't a neutral referee's performance," said Sociedad Head Coach Imanol Alguacil who was very disappointed with the referee's decision, as quoted by AS.

MU capitalized on the momentum after turning the game around. Sociedad became more aggressive in their attacks, while the home team grew increasingly comfortable with counterattacks. Disaster struck the visiting team in the 63rd minute when defender Jon Aramburu was shown a red card for a foul during a transition situation.

Sociedad, who were already struggling to create in the final third, became even more frustrated after being reduced to ten men. Martin Zubimendi and his teammates were only able to make two attempts on goal in the final half hour. Neither attempt found the target.

MU, despite the penalty and man advantage, did play well in the two matches against Sociedad. Especially at Old Trafford, they were able to create 25 shots worth 4.02 xG (expected goals). According to Opta, that is the highest xG figure since the Amorim era.

The brilliant performance in the “Red Devils” attack line did not just fall from the sky. It was all realized thanks to discipline and commitment in defense. As is known, defense has been the source of MU's disaster throughout this season. Amorim has started to successfully fix that.

Sociedad were confused when MU had implemented a low block defense. The Spanish representative could not even score from open play for 180 minutes. Both their goals came from penalties. A similar solid defense was shown by MU when holding Arsenal last weekend.

"A complete week. It was a difficult week, but the result was good. We showed a bit of the future. We played well, we could compete physically. Even before the red card, you could feel we were going to win this game," said Amorim.

Amorim, using a 3-4-3 formation, relies heavily on transitions. The most effective way to counterattack is to defend well. When the opponent is provoked and loses the ball, MU can bite back. The speed of the “Red Devils” transition really troubles Sociedad.

Almost all MU players have a positive influence in the attack line. The trident of Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee, and Alejandro Garnacho are equally troublesome. Hojlund and Zirkzee are disturbing with their physical presence in the penalty box, while Garnacho is with his speed on the wing.

Dorgu has been in top form since joining in January. He has been a constant threat down the left flank, including a penalty and a red card for the visitors. Fernandes, in addition to contributing three goals, has also been a direct provider of balls from midfield to the front.

According to Fernandes, MU will get better over time. "With good results and performances, you will find confidence. Confidence is a big thing in football. We are making very good progress," he said.

MU will meet French representative Lyon in the quarter-finals. Lyon advanced without any difficulty after winning 7-1 on aggregate over Steaua Bucuresti. The Europa League is the only remaining title that Amorim's team can win this season. (AP/REUTERS)