Villareal trump Manchester United in Europa League Final after epic penalty shootout

It was heartbreak for Manchester United after losing to Villareal on penalties in the final of the Europa League. The Red Devils cruelly missed out on their first chance of silverware under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as Unai Emery registered his record fourth Europa League victory. Apart from Gerard Moreno’s opener and Edinson Cavani’s equaliser on either side of half-time, it was a largely uneventful affair throughout the 120 minutes. The majority of the drama was reserved for the penalty shoot-out with each and every player on the pitch having to take a spot-kick. After 21 perfectly taken penalties, David de Gea proved to be the villain on the night as his tame shot was palmed away by Geronimo Rulli to help Villareal win their first-ever European trophy.

After a bright start from Manchester United, it was Villareal who landed the first punch during the game as they opened the scoring through Gerard Moreno on the half-hour mark. Manchester United’s set-piece struggles have been well documented this season and they once again failed to deal with a free-kick which Gerard Moreno tapped in past David De Gea for his 30th goal of the season.

Nevertheless, United were familiar with trailing in games having come-back from behind to win 12 times this season.

That familiar spirit for United came to the fore in the second half with Edinson Cavani levelling the scores. The Uruguayan striker did incredibly well to get back in an on-side position from a corner and react first to the goal-mouth scramble and knock the ball into the net.

Unfortunately for United, the equaliser didn’t provide them with the momentum they needed to win the game and they created very little of note for the rest of the match. With both sides tiring, Villareal maintaining excellent defensive organisation and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer choosing not to make any substitutes till the 100th minute, it felt like a game that was destined for penalties. 

Both teams seemed prepared for this eventuality as the first batch of spot kicks were perfectly placed into the four corners of the net. Eventually, the only thing that could separate the sides was David de Gea’s weak shot in the 22nd penalty of the shootout. In the end, this represents a wasted opportunity for Manchester United as they failed to take the initiative in a European final and break down an inferior opponent. Solskjaer’s first piece of silverware could have been a launchpad for future success for the club but instead, this defeat is a painful reminder of how far they still have to go to regain their former glories.