Key events
A downcast Joshua Zirkzee talks to TNT Sports. “There was more here for us tonight … we were unlucky with the pen … you have to be relentless with your chances … we had enough of them … they have to come to Old Trafford … we’re obviously playing against a good footballing team … it’s not easy … but we should at least have had one more [goal] … the team needed [his goal] but we didn’t win … we are going to be better than we were today … we can remain calm … we lost it a bit [after the penalty] … we just have to win and that’s all that matters.”
Orri Óskarsson should have won that for Real Sociedad but missed a late sitter from six yards. He nearly won it with a fierce shot seconds from the end that was parried well by André Onana. But that would have been harsh on Manchester United, who were the better side for 69 minutes and looked set for victory, a goal up thanks to Joshua Zirkzee, the impotent hosts contained. But Bruno Fernandes handled in the box to throw the hosts a lifeline, and after Mikel Oyarzabal converted the penalty, the Basques were on top from there on in. A long-winded way of saying a draw is probably about right, though United may feel they did just about enough to deserve the win. A slight advantage going into next week’s second leg at Old Trafford is their consolation prize.
FULL TIME: Real Sociedad 1-1 Manchester United
All back to Old Trafford next week.
90 min +4: Oyarzabal sends Óskarsson racing free down the inside-left channel. Óskarsson enters the box and lashes hard towards the goal. It’s a slightly tight angle, but take nothing away from Onana’s save. A strong left hand at full stretch.
90 min +2: Collyer is skittled 35 yards from goal. Fernandes floats the free kick into the mixer. Eriksen shapes like Zidane in the 2002 European Cup final but shins his attempted volley.
90 min: There will be five additional minutes.
88 min: Both teams make changes. Yoro and Zirkzee are replaced by Lindelof and Collyer, while Sučić makes way for Jon Ander Olasagasti.
86 min: Becker strides down the right again. And crosses dangerously again. De Ligt prepares to hook clear … then slips! Óskarsson is behind him, preparing to slam home, but De Ligt somehow adjusts while sliding on the floor, lifting a leg like a cat in self-cleaning mode to deflect the ball away from danger. From slapstick to sensational in nanoseconds.
85 min: That’s the exact ball Dalot should have played for Hojlund in the first half, by the way. A copycat situation. Óskarsson had to score.
84 min: Real should be ahead. Becker is sent scampering into space down the right. He crosses low, to tee up Óskarsson, six yards out. Óskarsson has to score, but pokes his shot wide left. Relief for United. Yoro with just enough presence to put the striker off.
82 min: Eriksen is so close to finding Dorgu on the left flank with a spectacular crossfield pass. A smidgen too much on it, and it’s a goal kick. United started the half carrying a threat, but the equaliser has taken the wind out of their sail.
81 min: Takefusa Kubo, who hasn’t quite delivered tonight, makes way for Sheraldo Becker.
79 min: Hojlund has kept running all night … and he’s nearly sent clear down the inside-right channel by Zirkzee. But the flag goes up for offside.
78 min: Before the resulting corner can be taken, Garnacho is replaced by Eriksen. Nothing comes of the set piece.
77 min: Dorgu is making his European debut tonight, and that lack of experience betrays him here. A loose clearance, and suddenly Méndez is in a pocket of space, 30 yards out. He curls powerfully towards the bottom left. Onana does exceptionally well to turn a fine shot around the post.
75 min: Oyarzabal loops down the middle in the hope of finding Óskarsson, but De Ligt nips in to cushion a cute header back to Onana. Then Kubo shimmies down the right and dinks a cross that the keeper claims. All of a sudden there’s a sense of momentum changing.
73 min: Remiro is on the floor, having taken a whack upside the head from his own man Aramburu while in the process of claiming a long ball. A pause in play.
72 min: Fernandes blows out his cheeks in frustration. United were well on top until that corner came in. Pretty much everyone in the stadium is now doing the Poznan.
GOAL! Real Sociedad 1-1 Manchester United (Oyarzabal 70 pen)
Real captain Oyarzabal takes. A small stutter, then he whips the ball into the left-hand side of the net, having given Onana the eyes and sent the keeper the wrong way. A fine penalty, and that’s got the hosts out of a hole.
Penalty to Real Sociedad
69 min: Yep, the ball hit Fernandes on the arm. That arm in an unnatural position, stopping Aguerd meeting the corner with his head. Fernandes shakes his head in disgust.
68 min: There’s a VAR check for a potential penalty at that corner. The referee’s sent over to the screen.
66 min: Real have finally sparked into action, and Kubo advances on the United box, his shot taking a deflection and sailing out for a corner … from which nothing comes, but it’s small acorns for Sociedad at the moment. They’ve been dreadful.
65 min: Mendez has a pop from 25 yards. It sails inches wide of the right-hand post. Not sure Onana would have got to that had it been a few inches to the left.
64 min: United are totally on top, so Imanol Alguacil is forced to do something. He makes a triple change, hauling off Aritz Elustondo, Beñat Turrientes and Ander Barrenetxea and sending on Orri Óskarsson, Jon Aramburu and Pablo Marín.
63 min: Fernandes again down the middle. He slips a pass upfield to Hojlund, who spins and rolls wide right for Garnacho. Almost a facsimile of Darwin Nunez to Harvey Elliott last night for Liverpool in Paris. But Garnacho hits the side netting again.
61 min: Now it’s Fernandes’ turn to romp down the middle. Real are all over the shop. He tries to feed Garnacho on the right, but undercooks the pass and Munoz is able to intercept and clear. A better weighted ball to Garnacho and he’d have been in.
59 min: Nice to see Zirkzee on the scoresheet and celebrating after his penalty woe against Fulham. The keeper perhaps should have done better, but that’s not on Zirkzee, who caught the shot well.
GOAL! Real Sociedad 0-1 Manchester United (Zirkzee 57)
This had been coming, and it’s a fine goal. Dalot barges his way down the middle and feeds Garnacho on the right. Garnacho reaches the edge of the box before pulling back for Zirkzee, who takes a first-time swing at the ball. The shot’s straight down the middle of the goal, but Remiro is unsighted and in it goes! Lovely team move. United deserve this on balance, no question.
55 min: Sociedad win a corner down the right. Before it can be taken, Fernandes is booked for one yap in the referee’s direction too many. Nothing comes of the set piece. Real still haven’t got an effort on target. Onana with a cigar on.
54 min: … but having said that, his team are doing OK here. Garnacho has another whack at goal, meeting a Dalot cutback with a first-time slap towards the bottom right. Remiro is positioned well to claim. United have had three shots on target to Real’s zero.
53 min: Sociedad hoick the ball out of play towards the dugouts. Ruben Amorim controls the ball, dropping from high, effortlessly and elegantly. He must wish he could select himself.
51 min: Fernandes gets back to work and sends the free kick wide right. United quickly come back at Sociedad, Zirkzee back-flicking elegantly down the left for Dorgu, who whistles a low ball through the six-yard box. Garnacho, racing in from the right, flutters the side netting. He should have hit the target at the very least. He really should have scored.
49 min: Zubeldia hauls back an in-flight Hojlund. A free kick just outside the D in a fairly central position. Zubeldia is correctly booked. Fernandes hassles the referee, presumably claiming the denial of a goalscoring opportunity. He’s entitled to try it on, but there were two other defenders around, so that’s not going to fly.
48 min: Kubo advances down the right and slides a cross towards the near post. Oyarzabal is on point, waiting to trundle home, but Yoro again makes a crucial intervention to hook clear. Better from the hosts.
47 min: Elustondo throws in long from the right. Yoro does well to clear at the near post under pressure. Maybe Sociedad have had a bollocking too.
La Real get the second half underway. No changes. United were sent out early by their manager, which may or may not be a post-bollocking state of affairs. They were the better side in the first half, for what that’s worth, so perhaps not.
Half-time entertainment. For your aural pleasure.
HALF TIME: Real Sociedad 0-0 Manchester United
That wasn’t very good. United will be happy enough on balance, though. The Real attack has been held easily at arm’s length, while United have had the better chances, Elustondo blocking shots from both Fernandes and Zirkzee during one hectic episode. Onwards and upwards.
45 min +2: Another Real corner, Kubo sending this one in from the right. Onana flaps it clear, and he was being fouled by Zubeldia anyway.
45 min +1: That was probably more of a hand-ball than the one Hojlund was just penalised for, Zirkzee’s arm away from his torso, but it would still have been harsh. Anyway, United aren’t complaining.
45 min: Sučić nearly works himself some space on the edge of the United box but the ball’s taken off his toe and deflected wide left. Kubo’s corner rears up and hits Zirkzee on the arm, but that’s never going to be a penalty.
44 min: Hojlund robs Turrientes on the halfway line, and there’s a two-versus-one break on. But the ball ballooned up onto Hojlund’s tucked-in arm when the striker was in the process of winning it, and the referee blows up for a hand-ball. That’s pretty harsh, and has denied United a promising counter.
42 min: Fernandes drops deep and floats a long pass down the middle and into the Sociedad box. Remiro hesitates and doesn’t come. Dalot heads goalwards but doesn’t get any power on his effort, and it’s straight at Remiro as well.
40 min: Nothing comes of the resulting free kick.
Article by:Source: Scott Murray
