Manchester United has kept its Europa League awaited and a desperate season live-with a sweaty draw in San Sebastian, but it was not beautiful on a difficult night at Reale Arena.
Four days after he was crying, having a decisive penalty saved from the FA Cup shooting against Fulham, Joshua Zirkzee shot United ahead in the second half.
But the leadership didn’t last long, as Mikel Oyarzabal got up from the scene to get all this to the second leg of next week in Old Trafford.
United will be a little favorite after maintaining its record as the only undefeated team of the Champions League and the Europa League this season. But it was a non -convincing performance and there is still a long way to go before they may think of returning to the Basque country in May to play in the final in neighboring Bilbao.
After Fulham’s defeat, this is the last chance of a United trophy and the only thing that prevents the season from ending in March. Winning this would mean automatic qualification for the Champions League and a fall of £ 100 million, but first they must take care of the Sociedad.
There were no surprises in the formation of Ruben Amorim, mainly because he had so little choice. With 10 players left at home injured and young Chido striker Obi ineligible for Europe, United traveled with an 18 players team. It included two novice goalkeepers on the bank, who left only five field players among the substitutes.
Joshua Zirkzee broke the impasse for Manchester United against Real Sociedad on Thursday
Var Replays showed that the ball hit Bruno Fernandes’s hand to give the hosts a golden opportunity to return to the game
The captain of the Real Sociedad Mikel Oyarzabal then leveling the site with the remaining 20 minutes to play
“Freshness is important, but we don’t have many options,” Amorim said before the beginning. ‘We are ready. In the second half, we will feel a little, but we are excited to be here.
‘We need to be very strong. At first it will be intense and we chose the team thinking about it. Possession of the ball is important. If we have it, it is impossible to mark. If we lose it in accumulation, they are really strong and fast to go to the goal. We need to improve possession. ‘
Sociedad was missing his best player in Martin Zubimendi, who is attracting much interest from Arsenal, and entered the game after consecutive defeats for Real Madrid at Copa Del Rey and Barcelona in the League. The latter saw the ninth team placed in Spain to fail the 12th time in 26 league games this season.
It was United who had the first effort in the goal at 12 minutes. Alejandro Garnacho, whose first goal for the club came on this ground and in this competition when United won 1-0 here in November 2022, received the ball from Rasmus Hojlund when United broke and pointed to a direct shot in the arms of Alex Remiro, from the Beira da Caixa.
From another interval eight minutes later, Garnacho fed Patrick Dorgu, but he raised his high and wide effort from a similar position. Dorgu was startled to United shortly after, when he went down with no one near him, but managed to continue after the treatment, which was a great relief, given the situation of the injury.
Dalot had a chance to play in Hojlund in the middle of half, but did not take him to the annoyance of United’s 72 million pounds, whose drought of goal came into his 20th hour, and made his feelings known to his teammate.
“For Dalot, don’t see, it’s criminal,” said TNT Paul Scholes Sports Expert.
While Sociedad enjoyed most of the lion’s inauguration in a monotonous first half – 61 % compared to the 39 % of United – it was Amorim’s side who continued to represent the biggest threat and his best chance reached 37 minutes.
Alejandro Garnacho was involved at the beginning, when United poked and probed to the opener
Patrick Dorgu scared the United when he got out of the ball with no one around him
Ruben Amorim’s team has already spent 20 games without scoring a goal in the first half
Andre Onana did not face a shot in his goal before Oyarzabal’s penalty after 70 minutes
United keeps its season alive with the draw, but it was not beautiful in northern Spain sometimes
Casemiro and Garnacho agreed to the right to give Diogo Dalot the chance to cross, and he pulled the ball back to Bruno Fernandes, who was not marked. The first time in United’s captain was entering, but hit Aritz, and attempted Joshua Zirkzee’s accompaniment did not happen.
Fernandes returned the favor at 42 minutes, taking a pass to the box to Dalot, who got up above Nayef Aguerd to go straight to Remiro. It was so good for the society goalkeeper because he had moved away from his line waiting for Aguerd to win the header, and his goal was exposed.
This meant that United has spent 20 games without scoring in the first half, but at least they were in front of 12 minutes after the restart.
Once again, he came from a break, Casemiro choosing the Dalot race halfway with a pass outside the right boot. Dalot’s first touch was not ideal, but he put the ball under control and fed Granacho on the right. Argentina’s extreme ran in two defenders and pulled the ball back to Zirkzee, by the cashier, who found it with a first end.
The kick was in the center of the goal, but Remiro’s reaction was slow and the ball flew under the body, while Zirkzee celebrated his second goal only in 17 games.
But society was level 70 minutes, when official Pol Van Boekel saw that Fernandes dealt with his left arm while challenging Aguerd on a corner and advised Slovak referee Ivan Kruziak to go to the throwing monitor. He pointed to the scene and Captain Oyarzabal advanced to send Andre Onana the wrong way with society’s first genuine effort in the night’s goal.
It could have been even worse for United when Sherald Becker crossed the farthest post on 84 minutes and substitute Orri Oskarsson only had Onana to hit, but he stabbed Leny Yoro’s pressure. Onana then appeared from Oskarsson in the time added when a tired united clung to the end.
