EUROPA League
Ten Hag laments injuries as Sabitzer bemoans ‘stupid’ Man Utd defending
Erik ten Hag was left ruing injury problems as Manchester United suffered late heartbreak against Sevilla in the Europa League, while Marcel Sabitzer slammed “two stupid goals” to concede.
Sabitzer’s first-half double seemingly had United in complete control of Thursday’s quarter-final first leg, with Ten Hag’s hosts dominant throughout at Old Trafford.
Yet a Tyrell Malacia own goal six minutes from time handed Sevilla hope before Harry Maguire deflected into his own net in the 92nd minute.
Ten Hag insisted United’s 2-2 draw was down to bad fortune, as opposed to his substitutes collapsing under late pressure.
The United manager told BT Sport: “I think we had the game in hand, we were 2-0 up and should have scored three or four. The game was totally on us.
“Some unlucky moments with injuries. Raphael Varane at half-time, Anthony Martial because it was his first start, Antony and Bruno Fernandes because they were on a yellow card.
“Then we lose control at an unlucky moment, then another unlucky moment with Lisandro [Martinez] going off injured when we go down to 10.
“We conceded two own goals, that is bad luck. We have to learn, we have to kill the game, but everything is open for the next game.
“I know we can do better with those players in the last part of the game, we had to be more composed and could benefit from our counter-attacking opportunities, but we didn’t.
“We were a little bit unlucky with the defending, two own goals and deflected shots, it’s not a nice night.”
The late drama saw United become just the second English side to score two own goals in a single match in a major European competition, after Chelsea against Ten Hag’s Ajax in November 2019.
It was also the first time United failed to win a match in a major European competition when they had a two-goal lead, since a 3-3 draw with Basel in September 2011.
Sabitzer was left struggling to find an explanation for the chaotic finale after United relinquished what appeared to be an unassailable position.
“I have problems finding the right words, like a rollercoaster game,” the United loanee told BT Sport.
“We played a good first half, had good chances after and we had to finish the game off. At the end, it is a draw and that’s not what we wanted so we have to go to Sevilla and get it done there.
“Unfortunately we gave away easy goals, we cannot concede these types of goals and we are very disappointed now.
“In a competition like this you have to be focused until the end, when you have a per cent less you can give the game away.
“I think the last minutes were a bit strange, one man down and we had to get the result done.
“But as I said, two stupid goals and that is not what we wanted. Very frustrated. You cannot concede like this and not focus until the end when you are 2-0 up at home, you have to get it done.”
It is not yet certain for Manchester United if the struggling former giants will play in the Europa League despite winning the FA Cup.
The club will discover their Europa League fate after UEFA threaten relegation
They have been left concerned they could be relegated to the Europa Conference League after Nice, who Sir Jim Ratcliffe also owns, qualified for the Europa League
According to British publication, Mirror, Manchester United will be allowed to play in the Europa League after UEFA came to a decision on their future in the competition.
Though they finished eighth in the Premier League, Erik ten Hag’s side won the FA Cup. That win earned them automatic qualification to Europe’s second-tier competition for next season.
But there had been some doubt that they would be allowed to play in the competition after Nice also qualified.
The French side are also owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe through his INEOS chemical company.They finished fifth in Ligue 1 in the season just gone and UEFA rules state that clubs owned by the same company are not allowed to play in the same European competition.
Normally, the team that finished lower in their respective league would be relegated to the Europa Conference League, in this case United.
But according to The Times, both United and Nice will be allowed to play in the Europa league next term. UEFA’s Club Financial Control Board is due to issue a ruling on multi-club ownership issues on Monday.
It is expected that the CFCB will give their approval to United playing alongside Nice, subject to certain conditions. They will also be warned that the upcoming campaign will be viewed as a transitional one and this leeway will not be given in future years.
The CFCB is also set to rule that Nice should be operated via a ‘blind trust’ by a panel approved by UEFA. It is a model that was used by AC Milan and Toulouse this season, with both clubs being owned by Red Bird Capital.
It is reported that a UEFA document on multi-club ownership says a blind trust would be a ‘temporary alternative… granted on an exceptional basis for the 2024-25 Uefa competitions’. It also states that UEFA’s multi-club ownership rule may be changed for future seasons.
INEOS only own 27.7 percent of United, but Ratcliffe has been handed control of the club’s football and business operations by majority owners the Glazer family. The British billionaire previously bought Nice in 2019.
Ratcliffe also owns Swiss Super League side Lausanne-Sport, though they have not qualified for a European competition for next year. The ruling around multi-club ownership also affects Manchester City.
Atalanta’s Europa League hat-trick hero Ademola Lookman admitted that he had to wait a while for success after years in and out of favour at different clubs but said it was “just the beginning” after he sank Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday.
The Nigeria forward became the first person to score a hat-trick in a Europa League final in the 3-0 win, which handed the Bergamo club their first major trophy in 61 years and ended the German champions’ remarkable 51-game unbeaten streak.
“Maybe it could have come earlier, but it’s come now,” said the 26-year-old Lookman, who bounced around in England with Everton, Fulham and Leicester City and in Germany with RB Leipzig before settling in Atalanta two seasons ago.
“This is just the beginning. I hope for more nights like this and to just keep getting better and better,” he told a news conference.
Lookman, who was a youth international for England, credited the Atalanta coaching staff and leadership of manager Gian Piero Gasperini for his revival. Since arriving at the club, he has scored 30 goals in 76 matches.
He pointed in particular to Gasperini’s belief in attacking football that has helped him to flourish.
“The first conversations I had with him made me look at football a lot different. It made things simple. It allowed me to play my game in a different light. I’m very grateful to him,” he said.
Asked if he would have imagined such a night in his wildest dreams while starting out as a teenager at Charlton Athletic, Lookman responded: “Probably yeah.”
“I’ve always had the confidence in my ability to create, to score goals, to help my team mates. In the past two years I’ve been able to take my game to a whole new level,” he said.
-Reuters
Atalanta’s hat-trick hero Ademola Lookman was named Player of the Match after scoring a historic hat trick for his club in the Europa League final match.
UEFA’s Technical Observer Panel said: “[It’s awarded] for obvious reasons and his all-round enthusiasm and energy. [He was] really sharp and his execution was spot on.”
Ademola Lookman, Player of the Match, speaking to TNT Sports: remarked: “It’s one of the best nights of my life. It was an amazing performance from the team. We did it – fantastic. I’m just happy we won. We made history tonight.”
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