Barcelona 3-0 Manchester United: 5 Men who cost United the game

#1 Ashley Young

Manchester United v FC Barcelona - UEFA Champions League Quarter Final: First Leg

Ashley Young’s selection is an enigma, given how poor the Englishman has been for United on a regular basis this season. Young was a disappointment in the first leg as well, but Solskjaer still opted to keep him in the first eleven. A reason for that could have been Luke Shaw’s absence and the fact that Dalot had failed to impress from the left side in the home leg.

Nevertheless, Young started from the left, with the captain’s armband, but had a night to forget. He rarely joined Martial in attack, perhaps wary of Lionel Messi giving him the slip in the counter. This affected United’s gameplay, as Martial was isolated in the left. However, the United skipper was disappointing with his defensive responsibilities too.

Young was directly culpable for the first goal, when he lost the ball at a dangerous position and of all people, to Lionel Messi. The Argentinean accepted it with open arms and then Young resorted to a poor attempt at winning the ball back. Messi brushed his tackle aside and went on to score the opening goal.

Young failed as a Skipper on the field and as a left back too and cost United the game.