After a fortnight that had seen Manchester United claim just one victory in their four contests across all competitions, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men were out to change their fortunes during Matchday 2 of the UEFA Champions League, where they would square off with Spanish outfit, Villarreal.
Casting our minds back just over four months ago, these two sides were battling it out on the biggest stage of Europe’s secondary competition, the Europa league. United were tipped by many to claim the title, and hand Solskjaer his first piece of silverware as manager, but in an absurd contest in which 21 penalties had to be taken in the deciding shootout, Villarreal came out on top. To start the 2021-22 La Liga campaign, it seems Villarreal have struggled to capitalise on this momentum, as they sit 11th on the table with just one win and five draws from their six outings. During Matchday 1, the Spanish side held on for a 2-2 draw against Atalanta, despite being reduced to 10 men to finish the match.
As for the Manchester side, a promising start in the Premier League has since been overshadowed by some recent struggles, with many pointing to the constant change and outright play of the defensive midfield as the key problem. Their first champions league matchup came against Swiss Club, BSC Young Boys. An early Cristiano Ronaldo goal gave United momentum, momentum that was taken away following a red card to Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the first half. Young Boys equalised with under 30 to play, and just as United looked like they may hold on for a point, an errant pass from Jesse Lingard handed the victory away. Following this, United claimed a dramatic victory away at West Ham, in which Jesse Lingard made up for his last outing with the deciding strike, which had the chance to be cancelled out with a Mark Noble spot kick in injury time, if not for the heroics of David De Gea in goal.
Over the next two outings, United would go 180 minutes without getting on the board, which is certainly not expected from an attacking arsenal of their calibre, bowing out of the Carabao Cup at the hands of who else but West Ham, and then suffering another 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa. More than the result itself, their last contest against Villa saw them lose two of their back four through injury, in the form of Luke Shaw and also Captain, Harry Maguire. This meant that in addition to Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s suspension, the recently signed Raphael Varane was tasked to hold down the fort with a completely unfamiliar backline. Jadon Sancho got the start on the Left flank, as Pogba and McTominay filled the two highly contentious spots in the middle of the park.
As Felix Zwayer blew his whistle to get play underway, it was Unai Emery’s men who quickly took a hold of proceedings after a punchy start from the Red Devils. It was always going to be a tough task for wing backs, Alex Telles and Diogo Dalot, to make the type of attacking impression that United usually receives from those points on the park, however not many would have predicted just how dominant Villarreal would be attacking those flanks. The Spanish side quickly determined their target in Dalot, and constantly looked to feed Arnaut Danjuma down the left wing to capitalise. On several occasions early, it seemed the winger was just breezing past the defense like it was not there at all, however some of his finishes left a bit to be desired, often finding the gloves of De Gea or simply missing wide. Villarreal’s best chance of the half came in the 17th minute, as a sharp ball in from Danjuma was met by a glancing header from Paco Alcácer, which forced a sublime tip from De Gea to edge it over the woodwork.
Jadon Sancho showed some of the dribbling skills that earned him the hefty contract he received during the transfer period, as well as using his pace to make some promising runs behind the back four, however as has seemed to be commonplace throughout much of the season thus far, the final linking pass continued to be a struggle for United, as tidy build up play from the likes of Fernandes and Pogba was often shut down and managed by Villarreal’s defensive unit, which was controlled by captain Raúl Albiol at centre back. As United gained more possession as the half drew to a close, there remained very little dangerous threat to Rulli’s goal line. Villarreal continued to have the better chances to grab the lead, de Gea once again having to keep United in the battle. Cristiano Ronaldo was, by his standards, absolutely shut out of the play, a header from a set piece providing his only real look on goal for the half.
As the second half began, there was little change from what both teams provided in the first, possession remained fairly even and United remained fairly passive, which has been another criticism of their play under Solskjaer this season. Another trend for the Manchester side, had been conceding first in matches before switching up the gears, and in the 53rd minute, a ball in behind from Trigueros to Danjuma left United scrambling, and the winger once again linked a ball to Alcácer, who this time, was able to nudge it through the legs of De Gea to give Villarreal the lead at Old Trafford. Like clockwork, United were once again behind and needed to step up their attack in the second stanza. In a somewhat puzzling move, manager Emery decided to omit Alcácer from proceedings with over 30 minutes to play. 60 minutes in, United earned a free kick on the right side of the box, and a floated ball from Fernandes across to Alex Telles behind the slew of players in the box, saw the defender smash an impressive first time volley past everyone into the bottom right corner, levelling the game once again.
Following this came an array of substitutions from Emery, looking to get fresh legs on at both ends of the pitch, to capitalise on a tiring defense that was already looking vulnerable. Along with substitutions, came a string of yellow cards, as both sides seemingly grew frustrated as the game petered along. With just 5 minutes to play, a save from de Gea bounced on to the feet of Dia in the box, who had been subbed on for Alcácer, and the forward had multiple attempts to tip it past United’s defense into goal, however some great blocks from Telles and de Gea denied the score. Along with Cavani, who was brought on up front with 15 to play, Jesse Lingard was brought on for stoppage time to try and salvage another miracle for United. In the 95th minute, Fred, brought on at left back for Telles, swung in a ball which was nodded down by Ronaldo towards Lingard, who returned a touch back to the superstar, and as he so often does, Cristiano Ronaldo put the ball in the back of the net. Even in the games in which he has little to no impact on the play, Ronaldo seems to be ready for these big moments, a trait that will be vital for United as they move forward in all campaigns.
Another final minute miracle releases some of the pressure on the team and manager, and grants United a small bit of breathing room for the rest of their group stage. In terms of the Champions League outlook, United next face off with group leaders Atalanta at Old Trafford in three weeks’ time, as Villarreal will travel to Switzerland to play BSC Young Boys. A win is what Solskjaer and his men were seeking, however there still remains a number of questions about the side’s true potential, left unanswered.
Will this win turnaround the recent struggles of United? Which formation would best suit the array of United’s attacking weapons? Let us know in the comments!
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