Europa League: Sevilla comes back to hold United

MANCHESTER: Manchester United conceded two late own goals to allow Sevilla to snatch a 2-2 draw in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final at Old Trafford on Thursday.

Marcel Sabitzer’s quick-fire double in the first half had put Erik ten Hag’s United team in control of the tie, but Sevilla, record six-time Europa League champion, pulled one back in the 84th minute when Jesus Navas’s shot pinged off the feet of Tyrell Malacia and goalkeeper David de Gea into the net.

Then, Youssef En-Nesyri’s stoppage-time header glanced off Harry Maguire into the goal to give Sevilla a huge lift ahead of next week’s second leg. United had been reduced to 10 men when central defender Lisandro Martinez was carried off injured.

“I think that we had the game in hand,” Ten Hag told BT Sport. “We should have scored three or four goals... and then some unlucky moments with injuries. And then we conceded two own goals and that is bad luck. We have to deal with it. Of course, we have to learn that we have to kill the game.”

Sabitzer, who is on loan from Bayern Munich, netted his first European goal for United in the 14th minute, when he controlled a pin-point pass from Bruno Fernandes and shot past Bono. The Austrian doubled his tally seven minutes later, latching on to a fine pass from Anthony Martial and finishing well.

Sabitzer said that it was tough to find words after his team’s late meltdown. “A roller-coaster. We had to finish the game off, it is a draw, was not what we wanted, have to go to Seville and get it down there,” said Sabitzer.

We had the chances, we were confidence in the game and I think we controlled the game, but unfortunately we gave easy goals away.” Martinez appeared to suffer a serious ankle injury and was carried off the pitch by two Sevilla players who are his Argentina team mates.

United, bidding for its second trophy of the season after winning the League Cup, thought it had scored seconds after kick-off, but Jadon Sancho’s effort was disallowed for offside.

Sevilla, languishing in the bottom half of La Liga, was outplayed in the first half but nearly got on the scoreboard seconds before the interval when De Gea stopped Tianguy Ninazou’s close-range header and Raphael Varane cleared it off the line.

RESULT: Quarter-finals: First leg: Manchester United 2 (M Sabitzer 14 & 21) drew with Sevilla 2 (T Malacia 84(OG), H Maguire 90(OG)); Juventus 1 (F Gatti 73) bt Sporting Lisbon 0; Feyenoord 1 (M Wieffer 53) bt Roma 0; Bayer Leverkusen 1 (F Wirtz 82) drew with Union Saint-Gilloise 1 (V Boniface 51)