Show only key events Please enable JavaScript to use this feature This result checks the recent momentum built by Erik ten Hag, as well as putting Manchester United at the back of Group E. Only the group winners automatically go through to the knockout stages, with the runners-up playing a cash-strapped club from the Champions League. The other group game saw Serif beat Omonia Nicosia 3-0. Thanks for reading this MBM on an official night at Old Trafford.
FINAL: Manchester United 0-1 Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad scored and then beat Manchester United for the first time in their history. The penalty decision that went in their favor was questionable, but La Real’s overall performance was highly respectable. They celebrate a famous victory on an otherwise gloomy night at Old Trafford. Casemiro reacts at the final whistle as Manchester United lose at home. Photo: Craig Brough/Reuters Updated at 21.56 BST 90 min +2: Casemiro tries to send a shot down the right but it is telegraphed and easily smothered by Remiro. 90 minutes +1: The first of the three added minutes passes without incident. 90 min: United throw everyone forward. La Real Bench. Sorloth rolls in the middle with players on both sides. It’s three in one! Sorloth catches Fred and then unselfishly rolls to Cho on his right… but the pass is no good and De Gea can save the day. That should have been taken care of. 89 min: Ronaldo is brought down in full flight, just to the left of the yellow for Turrientes. Ronaldo takes the free kick himself and clumsily hits it against the wall. 88 mins: Garnazzo swings her foot at the ball from 25 yards. His speculative effort flies harmlessly. “I think you are right about the ‘clear and obvious’ for the benefit of visitors,” writes Kári Tulinius. “In general, VAR in European competitions seems a lot less happy than VAR in England. I don’t really remember seeing a bad VAR incident for a long time outside of the Premier League. Why that is, I don’t really know.’ 86 min: La Real make a double change, replacing Mendez and Munoz with Sola and Turrientes. 85 min: Fred whistles a cross into the mixer from the left. Ronaldo can’t make an effort on goal. United are coming again. Ronaldo tries to trap another left cross. It goes over the top, with Zubimendi behind him, but the referee shows no interest in awarding the kick claimed by Ronaldo. It’s the right decision. 84 min: Charlie McNeill comes on for his United debut. The young forward replaces Tyrell Malacia. 83 min: Fred is shown a yellow card for catching Zubimenti on the ankle with his studs. Can’t have any complaints about that. 81 min: Martinez whips in a lovely diagonal ball to Garnazzo on the left touchline. He cuts inside and releases Fred, who flicks a ball in the direction of Sancho, off the far stick. Sancho grabs his shot and a fine chance is denied. 80 mins: Cho curls down left. Easy for De Gea. The away fans have a good voice now. 79 min: Pacheco slides onto Ronaldo’s back, who feels it. Just a free kick. It could easily have been a yellow. 78 min: The wonderful Kubo makes way for Ander Barrenetxea. 77 min: Casemiro sends a low shot to the bottom right. It’s on target, but an easy save for Remiro, who confidently heads away from goal. 75 min: Sorloth drops down the middle and almost frees Kumbo in the box with a slide-rule pass. Kubo is denied by a nice sliding tackle from Martinez. 74th minute: Again the penalty decision for Sociedad. Pure speculation, but the clear and obvious mistake may have benefited the visitors. It was a pretty harsh decision, but you could argue with it if you were so inclined, and so the VAR dude might not have felt empowered to overturn it. Even so, you would see this decision reversed more often. 72 minute: Cross from the left once again by Kumbo. Malacia chops a wild takedown attempt in the corner. Nothing emerges from the resulting set piece. Kubo has been great since the reboot. 71 mins: … so Antony’s last act for the evening is to get dressed. He is replaced by Jadon Sancho, while Elanga makes room for 18-year-old Argentine winger Alejandro Garnacho. Antonis leaves. Photo: Alex Livesey/Danehouse/Getty Images Updated at 21.44 BST 70 mins: Munoz dangles a cross-footer across Anthony’s waist to stop the winger in full flight. It’s an absurd challenge and could very easily be red. But it’s just a yellow one. Say what you will about this referee, he is not a hostage. 68 min: The bouncing ball falls to the feet of Malacia, who grabs his shot from D. Gol’s goal. He had time to do a little better. 67 min: Elanga takes a shot from inside the box on the left. He claims that his shot hits Elustodo’s arm, but the referee doesn’t care at all. United fans are starting to feel a little saddened, although that seemed to be off the Sociedad defender’s chest. Elanga claims a penalty. No dice. Photo: Craig Brough/Reuters Updated at 21.37 BST 65 min: 18-year-old striker Momo Cho comes on for Silva, who departs for more pantomime booting. 64 min: The game has opened. Increasingly influential Kubo sees a low drive blocked. United then counter through Anthony, who wins a corner on the right. The ball is worked back down the flank to Fernandes, who heads one in from deep. Casemiro meets it at the far post with a downward header which he brings back into the top of the net. 62 min: It turns out that Martinez was booked for his role in the penalty shootout as well. Insult to injury given how harsh the decision was. 61 min: This is Real Sociedad’s first goal against Manchester United in four and a half games. Mendez almost makes it two in three minutes, but his upper right curler attempt is blocked. 60 mins: Silva goes in the book as a result of going through the back of Casemiro.
GOAL: Manchester United 0-1 Real Sociedad (Méndez 59 pen)
Mendez goes hard into the bottom right corner. De Gea almost got there… in fact he might have had something on him… but he was hit hard and perfectly placed. La Real is ahead. Bryce Mendez celebrates the penalty. Photo: Craig Brough/Reuters Updated at 21.23 BST 58 minute: The penalty is valid! That seems a little harsh, mostly because the shot hit Martinez’s body first and his arm wasn’t exactly miles away from his torso. But VAR is not for movement.
Penalty for Real Sociedad
57 min: The corner goes to Silva, who tries to send a curler into the top left corner. His shot hits Martinez in the hip and then in the arm. The referee points to the spot and dismisses Fernandes’ loud protests. But VAR will check… The referee gave it! Photo: Craig Brough/Reuters Updated at 21.21 BST 56 mins: Kumbo hits another magical cross from the left. Sorloth prepares to cross-foot from six yards, but Martinez sticks a leg out to save a certain goal. Corner. From which … 55 min: The home fans join in the chants against Glazer. 54 mins: Space for Kubo out on the Sociedad left. He curls a fine cross into the box for Sorloth, who beats Martinez and only ends up heading over the bar. It was a great chance, ten yards out. 52 min: Pinball game breaks out in midfield. 50 min: Pacheco is down, he hits Ronaldo. An accident, nothing more, and he’s good to go again once he’s caught his breath. 48 mins: Malacia slips a pass down the left channel for Elanga, who turns and cuts the pass up the field for Ronaldo. He takes a touch and sends a screamer over the crossbar from 25 yards. The keeper was probably behind it if it was on target, but it wasn’t just him handling it, so you never know. Ronaldo has an effort on goal early in the second half. Photo: Craig Brough/Reuters Updated 21.12 BST 46 min: Very uncertain start to the second half from Sociedad. Zubimendi slices high in the air, forcing Remiro to break loose with great uncertainty. Fernandes then crosses from the right. Ronaldo should score, six yards out, but his header goes wide left. United start the second half. They made two changes at the break: Christian Eriksen and Diogo Dalot make way for Bruno Fernandes and Lisandro Martinez. Meanwhile, Sociedad have swapped Oumar Sadiq for former Crystal Palace striker Alexander Sorloth.
HALF TIME: Manchester United 0-0 Real Sociedad
The whistle blows at the end of an unexpectedly low-key first half. 44 min: Antoni latches on to a loose pass and feeds Elanga, who fails to release Ronaldo with an easy pass down the right. Ronaldo shows a little frustration. 42 min: Ronaldo scampers after a long pass down the right and latches onto the mixer, but the chase was not worth it. There is no one with him, and La Real captain Elustondo clears with ease. 40 mins: Antony has been quiet so far, but now breaks free from a tight spot near the right-hand corner flag by flicking the ball around Munoz and latching onto the box after it. But Merino meets and clears him straight away. The ball is thrown to Remiro, who misses it. 39′: Merino meets the corner, coming in from the left, at the near post. He tries to strike in the six-yard box, but it falls over his feet, allowing the home side to clear. 38 min: Sadiq latches onto a loose pass and drives into the United box on the left. He is ready to shoot when Casemiro arrives to block a corner.
