Manchester United play their eighth European final on Wednesday in Gdansk against a Villarreal side playing their first. The Europa League is not the Champions League where United want to be, but the competition is still significant.
United’s 2017 Europa League win over Ajax under Jose Mourinho was the high point in the underwhelming post-Alex Ferguson era. A first trophy for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as United manager would end this season on a high and be counted as a success. Few United fans expected a top-two Premier League finish either.
Villarreal, who defeated Arsenal in the semi-finals, will be difficult opponents and were four minutes from beating Real Madrid away on Saturday in the final game of La Liga, where they finished seventh.
They will play in the inaugural Uefa Conference League unless they win on Wednesday, but United have eased past similarly placed Spanish teams in this season’s Europa League.
The English club’s record against Spanish sides was poor under Ferguson but the team, despite injuries to key players like Harry Maguire, are favourites because they have world-class attackers such as Edinson Cavani, Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba.
Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood are also more capable of game-changing moments than any one Villarreal player, but the Spaniards have an excellent spine in the form of the experienced Raul Albiol and United target Pau Torres at the back, Dani Parejo in midfield and Gerard Moreno up front.
Moreno, a 29-year old Catalan and another product of Villarreal’s youth system, has been the top scoring Spaniard in La Liga the past two seasons.
In Unai Emery, Villarreal have a more experienced and successful coach than Solskjaer – and one who won the Europa League three times with Sevilla and reached the final with Arsenal.
He is especially motivated to beat another English side and vengeful after an underwhelming spell at Arsenal where he felt that monolinguistic English journalists mocked him for his mis-pronunciations.
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Roma v Manchester United player ratings
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ROMA PLAYER RATINGS: Antonio Mirante, 7 – A handful of decent stops and his contribution was key as Roma secured victory on the night at least. He had little chance of keeping out either of Cavani’s fine finishes, having earlier produced a brilliant stop to beat away the Uruguayan’s powerful close-range effort. AP -
Rick Karsdorp, 6 – Had the better of Shaw in the opening exchanges and he will have been mightily frustrated to see De Gea get an unlikely boot on his fizzed low cross from the right after a bright start from the full-back. PA -
Chris Smalling, 6 - There was plenty of talk about the role the ex-Manchester United man would play prior to kick off, but the defender was sadly forced to limp off on the half-hour mark having picked up an injury. Reuters -
Roger Ibanez, 6 - Came close to an assist when his flicked header was glanced wide by Mkhitaryan. Given plenty to think about by Cavani who unnecessarily clipped the defender’s heels and escaped his attention to head the visitors back on terms at 2-2. AP -
Bruno Peres, 6 – Faced a tough task in keeping Greenwood quiet, but he stuck to it well and kept the youngster quiet for the majority of the contest. Replaced by Davide Santon after the break. Getty Images -
Bryan Cristante, 8 – Gave Roma the faintest glimmer of hope when his stunning strike beat De Gea and nestled into the top corner to put his side ahead on the night, having also been involved in the build-up play that had led to the equaliser minutes earlier. EPA -
Gianluca Mancini, 6 - The midfielder is probably still scratching his head at how he didn’t bundle the ball home from Roma’s first attack of the night. Did the ball strike his arm? Maybe, but no flag came and De Gea made a wonder-save to restrict the hosts to a corner. AP -
Pedro, 7 - One of several Roma players who will still be trying to workout how he didn’t get on the scoresheet. Plenty of endeavour, but no reward for the veteran midfielder who was twice thwarted by De Gea in a matter of seconds. Getty Images -
Lorenzo Pellegrini, 7 - The captain lashed a vicious strike wide of De Gea’s right-hand post as the hosts made a bright start to the mammoth task ahead of them. Punished Fred for dawdling in possession which allowed Cristante to fire home emphatically. AFP -
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, 7 - He huffed and puffed, but he just couldn’t grab the goal he so desperately craved. Twice denied by stunning saves from De Gea, although the forward at least played an important part in the Roma equaliser. EPA -
Edin Dzeko, 7 - The last remaining survivor of the Roma side that stunned Barcelona in 2018, the former Manchester City man grabbed yet another goal against the red side of Manchester with an instinctive headed finish and he would have had a second if not for a breathtaking De Gea save from close range. EPA -
SUBS: Ebrima Darboe, 6 - Replaced the injured Smalling on the half-hour mark. Fed Karsdorp down the right to start a dangerous Roma counter but that was his only contribution of note. AFP -
Davide Santon, 6 - The 30-year-old was treated to a 20-minute run out but he didn’t actually have all that much to do with United’s job done as the clock continued to tick down. Getty Images -
Borja Mayoral, NR - The on-loan Real Madrid man replaced Edin Dzeko for the closing stages but had little opportunity to make an impact. EPA -
Nicola Zalewski, NR - Grabbed himself a memorable goal when his first-time effort beat De Gea after striking Telles. AP -
David De Gea 9. Super third minute save from Mancini, who handled it, as Roma started well and kept him busy. Saved again from Roma’s best player Pellegrini after 34. Conceded two in three minutes in the second half as the goal was peppered but could do little about either. Roma’s third was a deflection past him but he remained alert for more saves. Conceding three isn’t good but could have been a real shocker for United if it wasn’t for his first half heroics. AFP -
Aaron Wan Bissaka 6. Booked for a heavy 17th minute tackle on Peres that had the few Italians in the vast stadium screaming. Got forward and made first time crosses but brought off at half time. Reuters -
Harry Maguire 6. Blocked an early cross from Karsdorp which was heading to Dzeko and a probable goal. Stranded for Dzeko’s equaliser and challenge by the Bosnian all night as the usually tight defence around United’s captain crumbled. AFP -
Eric Bailly 6. Charged forward after 24 minutes and, despite Greenwood in space and shouting for it, passed the ball to Chris Smalling. Which would have been fine if Smalling still played for United and not Roma. Does the bizarre and the spectacular within the same minute and for all his qualities, needs to settle. Getty Images -
Luke Shaw 6. Not as consistent as usual. Robbed of the ball by Karsdorp after eight minutes – he then set up Dzeko. Taken off at half time. AFP -
Fred 6. Some good, some bad. Key to the opening goal as he ran forward from his half. Booked in 57th minute and lost ball two minutes later which led to Roma’s second. AFP -
Donny Van de Beek 6. A rare start and chance to shine. Misjudged a chance to win ball and attack on 27. Some nice touches, but – as has happened before – didn’t impact enough on the game. Part of United’s problem was that the front players didn’t press as they were told to and Roma broke their lines easily. Reuters -
Paul Pogba 6. Good and bad in the first half. He’d win the ball – but then lose it, as he did to Pedro who shot over. Stopped Dzeko shooting after yet another attack on 35. Started move for goal in his own half. PA -
Mason Greenwood 7. Became the youngest Englishman to reach 100 United appearances. Found positions which weren’t always utlised and created a chance which he took a minute after Cavani’s opener. Put a brilliant chance wide after 65 after Roma had scored two in three minutes. AFP -
Bruno Fernandes 7. Combined with Cavani for United’s first proper attack after 11 minutes and, like last week, was central to much of United’s attacking play. Lovely flick helped towards the first, beautiful vision to spot Cavani and set the Uruguayan up for United’s second. Getty Images -
Edinson Cavani 9. In space as he lifted the ball over after 19 and cursed himself as it hit the top of the cross bar. Blasted a shot at Mirante after 25 and looked like it wasn’t to be his night. Third time lucky with another blast to give United the lead after 39. As his side wobbled, powerfully headed an equaliser after 68, but then he lost his cool sticking up for teenager Greenwood. He was booked and taken off, his job done. PA -
SUBS: Alex Telles 5. On for Shaw at half time. Ball sailed over his head for Roma’s equaliser. The Brazilian hasn’t done badly when picked this season but struggled to adjust to a game his side were leading and never settled. Getty Images -
Brandon Williams 5. On for Wan Bissaka at HT. Like Telles, a very tough 45 minutes where Roma scored three against a United defence which was at sixes and sevens as crosses were not cut out and Roma’s attackers got behind them. Booked after 92. Getty Images -
Nemanja Matic 6. On for Pogba after 60 to try and bring stability and close the game out as United were rocked. It partially worked. Getty Images -
Marcus Rashford 6. On for Cavani after 73. Played on the left and centrally. Reuters -
Juan Mata N/A On for Fernandes after 83. PA
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Villarreal are unbeaten in 14 European games this season, winning 12 of them. No team has travelled more miles than the Yellow Submarine, who played in Azerbaijan, Israel, Turkey, Ukraine and Croatia before a less onerous trip to London for the semi-final second leg.
United? The club are not constructed to play second-tier European competition and the way they crashed out of the Champions League in December was especially frustrating after a promising start to the group when they beat PSG away and put five past RB Leipzig at home.
The defeat in Istanbul and the farcical goal conceded was a low point in the season, as was the opening 15 minutes in Leipzig. Yet had United stayed in the elite competition, it’s unlikely they would have a European final to look forward to.
Solskjaer’s side are not among the very best right now, though they have beaten top teams domestically and overcome formidable foes Roma, AC Milan and Real Sociedad.
United were unbeaten in all 19 Premier League away games in 2020-21, becoming only the fourth team in history to do so. United haven’t lost a game away from Old Trafford since January 2020.
It’s a remarkable record, with wins against and United Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham, Everton, Leicester, West Ham and Wolves, but there are no trophies for unbeaten runs and United need a first silverware since 2017.
Stats have been skewed by Covid-19 and the lack of crowds – and United’s form at Old Trafford has been poor for a side with title hopes. United won fewer than half of their 19 home matches, but two of the six defeats came at the start of the season and two right at the end in a flurry of fixtures. The trend points towards more consistency though, and Fernandes was a transformative signing.
In the dressing room, the mood is better than it was under Jose Mourinho. Players who don’t fit in with what Solskjaer envisages have been let go, while others who were perceived to be difficult like Pogba have been dealt with fairly by Solskjaer, who prefers to keep any criticism of players inside the dressing room.
He would let others go tomorrow, but it’s complicated since some are tied to long contracts where they earn far more than any potential suitor would pay for them.
Solskjaer thinks he needs to bring a minimum of three top signings in over the summer to have a side capable of properly challenging for the title. He wants a central defender and right-sided attacking midfielder; he also wants more competition at right-back and knows that he needs an upgrade on his central midfielders – specifically a holding midfielder. United have watched West Ham’s Declan Rice closely and feel that he has improved a lot this season.
Solskjaer also knows that Edinson Cavani, 34, will be good for around 60 per cent of United’s games at best. The Norwegian has been delighted with Cavani’s professionalism and how he delivers on the pitch. Solskjaer wants younger United players to continue to be inspired by Cavani and has also continued to believe in youth.
United have several talented prospects and four of them: Amad, Anthony Elanga, Shola Shoretire and Will Fish, played in Sunday's win at Wolves. None of these gifted teens are ready to be playing for United week in week out though.
United have money to spend and Solskjaer will likely be able to move some players off the wage bill, including Juan Mata, a fine pro who scored the winner at Wolves. The most money is likely to come for Jesse Lingard, who has shone on loan at West Ham.
But all that transfer noise will come after Wednesday’s final in Gdansk, where 2,000 fans from either team will be able to attend – though the process is complex for fans returning to the UK and requires a 10-day quarantine and multiple Covid tests. Fans hope they will be returning virus-free and also able to celebrate a much needed trophy.
