The Manchester United team was pleased with the visit of Seville in the first 1/8-final of the Champions League. The Red Devils pulled 0-0 to Ramon Sanchez Pichuan, thanks to goalkeeper David de Hea, who made several impossible rescues in the first half and for the 19th time this season kept his net dry.
The hosts dominated most of the game, easily creating situations but generously squandering them. So everything in this clash will be settled on Old Trafford’s rematch, with Manchester United in a better position to continue, but a goal for Andalusians can change everything. The big surprise of the startup of United was Paul Pogba’s absence from among the champions, which happened for the first time in the European Tournament in Europe since 2014 when he was carrying the Juventus team.
Sevilla – Manchester United 0: 0 + 32
The duel began in a great atmosphere of “Ramon Sanchez Pichuan”, with local fans making the most of their favorites before the important game. They managed to completely silence the English, which is not often the case.
Logically, the game started with home pressure and the first shot to the visitors’ door was made in the third minute and his author became Muriel, who directed the ball in the lower left corner, but De Haea rescued. The ball ricocheted but there was no white player to take advantage of.
Sevilla continued to control the game, and the guests were difficult to organize, and their submissions were not coming. Still, the Red Devils managed to ease Sevilla’s turn and in the 12th minute they also looked at Sergio Rico’s door, but Alexis Sanchez was locked by two defenders.
Two new attempts were made by the hosts to surprise De Hea with distant strikes, first shooting Ever Banega, and then lucked by Jesús Navas. In the 16th minute, Manchester United’s staff problems deepened after Ander Herera self-styled as he tried to combine technically into the host’s penalty area. He promptly requested a substitution, and in the play appeared the defeated Pugba.
Sevilla – Manchester United 0: 0 + 32
In the 20th minute, guests of the crowd shuddered after Alexis Sanchez slipped into the field after a steep start of Stevan Nonsi who was warned by a yellow card. In the 25th minute, United reached his best position until Alexis Sanchez found Romeo Lukaku in the penalty area but the Belgian did not manage to direct it.
Sevilla responded with a lightning attack, starting from his own half. Joaquin Korey took the ball behind the center line, escaped Valencia and invaded the penalty area, where he shot a land, but De Hea was in place.
United began to look a little more dangerous, but the defenders in white acted uncompromisingly against the Red Devils assailants. A series of corners in front of United did not lead to anything. The game began to break from frequent violations, and by the 35th minute they were 16. In the 38th minute the young Skok McTominiy tried Sergio Rico’s reflexes with a blow away from his left foot, but did not make the Spanish watchman difficult.
Sevilla responded with a shot by Captain Sergio Escudero, but the ball was self-cleared with the head of a United defender. There were two more corner kicks ahead of De Hea’s door, but again nothing dangerous happened. In the 43rd minute, the Spanish goalkeeper’s goalkeeper again showed well after a Korean strike.
In the 45th minute came the most beautiful situation in the match. After another corner kick in front of De Hea’s door, Gabriel Mercado fired with a scissors, but De Hae rescued his fingertips. The heavy minutes before United’s door continued. In the last attack for the first half, the Spanish guard with another brilliant expression rescued his team from a shot after a close impact with Luis Muriel’s head.
Sevilla – Manchester United 0: 0 + 32
The second half began with a more active game of the guests, but Mourinho’s players were hardly overtaking the defense of the Andalusians. In the 48th minute Ashley Young found himself in a good position but only won the corner. Sevilla equalized the game, and in the 51st minute he made his first strike to De Haea’s door through Franco Vasquez, who lied two defenders first, and then with his left foot tried to surprise United’s strike with a blow to the far beam, but the ball went sideways. Seville’s pressure continued, with dangerous attacks alternating as waves.
“Red Devils” rewarded the game and came to a direct free kick in the 60th minute after Muriel defeated Alexis Sanchez The shot of Romulus Lukaku was strong but right in the wall. In the 63rd minute, De Hea again showed a class after saving a stroke with Clemente Langleff’s head after learning. A little later De Hea had to intervene again after a blow in the outline of Ever Banega’s door from a foul.
The guests tried to move the game, and every touch of the black ball was welcomed with the boots. In the 69th minute Pogba tried his shot, but the ball did not fall into the outline of the door.
The 71st centimeters did not reach Muriel to reach the ball after centering Sarabia at the door. Two minutes later the roles were exchanged, with Muriel overcoming Lindeloff and centering to the right, and Sarabia headed the ball but over the door.
A quarter hour before the end, Jose Mourinho made a change by releasing Marcus Rashford to replace Alexis Sanchez. Shortly before, Seville organized another dangerous but frustrating attack that ended with an ambush of Sarabia. Ten minutes before the end of the pitch, Antoni Marciaal, replacing Juan Mata, appeared. The match remained open, and the hosts kept wiping their positions, which they easily created.
In the 82nd minute, Lucaku’s goal was canceled for a game by the Belgian striker who helped her with her to tame Paul Pogba’s center in the penalty area.
There followed a stir in front of United’s door, which ended with a penalty shoot-out for Jesús Navas, but the referee did not succumb. There was a dangerous counterattack of the guests, which seemed to be getting better as the final judging signal approached. In the end, United achieved his goal of “Ramon Sanchez Pichuan”, holding on to equality and not allowing a goal and looking with optimism towards the 1/4-finals.