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It was smooth sailing for Manchester United as they cruised past Granada with a 2-0 victory to book their place in the last four of the UEFA Europa League.
The Red Devils didn't have to hit top gear to see off the Spanish side as they already had a comfortable two-goal lead over them on aggregate, both of which were away goals.
Manchester United's night was made even easier after Edinson Cavani's early opener. Paul Pogba's looping header found the 34-year-old in the box, and he sublimely dispatched the ball to break the deadlock. They stamped their authority right at the start of the game, making Granada's seemingly impossible task an even more difficult one.
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While they did have a decent number of opportunities across the 90 minutes, it was a far tamer display than what they put up at the Nuevo Estadio de Los Carmenes, and the hosts appeared to be in control of the fixture at all times.
Manchester United could have had a few more goals on the night if not for some very questionable finishing, with the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Fred, and Mason Greenwood registering shots that were closer to the corner flag than they were to the goalpost.
However, it was of little consequence to begin with, and the tie was wrapped up with a bow on top after Jesus Vallejo's unfortunate own goal. Alex Telles whipped in a beautiful cross into the box towards Juan Mata, but Vallejo inadvertently ended up putting the ball into his own net with a precise header.
Overall, it was a productive night of football and the Red Devils managed to keep their fifth clean sheet in six Europa League games, with the last-gasp equaliser against AC Milan being the only goal they've conceded so far. They join Villarreal, AS Roma, and Arsenal in the last four of the competition and are set to face off with the Italians for a place in the final.
Here are five talking points from the game at Old Trafford as Manchester United registered a comfortable victory against Diego Martinez's Granada.
#5 Second-string players get the job done for Manchester United
Heading into the fixture, Manchester United were without the services of three key players. Luke Shaw, Scott McTominay, and captain Harry Maguire were all suspended due to their yellow cards in the reverse fixture, and it is important to note that Anthony Martial is sidelined due to injury as well, which paved the way for a few changes.
The deputies that were called upon — Nemanja Matic, Alex Telles, and Axel Tuanzebe — were excellent on the night. The Serb was composed in the middle of the park and kept things simple for Manchester United, winning the ball back with relative ease and spraying the ball around. He didn't have to break a sweat to thwart Granada's attacks and completed more passes on the pitch than any other player.
Tuanzebe appeared in the first team for the first time since coming on in the second half against Real Sociedad back in February. He stepped up in Harry Maguire's absence and was a rock in from to goal. It would undoubtedly be a confidence-boosting display for the Englishman. Telles impressed as well, venturing forward regularly and it was his cross that led to their second goal of the night.
Even Donny van de Beek — who was handed 45 precious minutes to make his case — was superb after coming on at halftime (more on him later). Overall, it was a mature display from the side despite a few noteworthy first-team players missing from action for Manchester United.
#4 Donny van de Beek's encouraging display
A lot has been made of Donny van de Beek's time at Old Trafford so far. The game against Granada could have been a great opportunity to hand him a rare start, but that was not the case. He was only brought on for the second half of the game. To his credit, however, Van de Beek impressed during his spell on the pitch.
Replacing a more adventurous Paul Pogba for the second 45, Van de Beek displayed why there's a belief that he requires time to settle into the side. He's a very safe player on the ball, and while that may be an excellent trait to possess, it isn't particularly what Manchester United have come to expect from their primary number ten since Bruno Fernandes arrived.
The Portuguese might be erratic at times, but his ambitious attempts to break down defences have single-handedly won them games in the past. On the night at Old Trafford, Van de Beek — operating in a slightly deeper role than Fernandes — showed that they could coexist and do so to a great degree. And perhaps, this is what his long-term position at the club could be.
Van de Beek impressed for Manchester United with his second-half display. He was confident on the ball, comfortable in possession, and created one excellent chance for Mason Greenwood in the box, only for the Englishman to meet it with a poor header. The signs are there for Van de Beek's eventual integration into the first XI, but for now, he continues to remain patient and grab such opportunities with both hands.
Also read: Twitter reacts as Manchester United beat Granada 2-0 to book Europa League semi-final spot
#3 A valiant effort from Granada
Not many would have expected LaLiga's midtable club Granada to go as far as they eventually did in the UEL, their first-ever adventure in Europe. Beginning their campaign in the second qualifying round all the way back in September 2020, the Andalusian side have had an excellent journey as they made their way to the last eight of the competition.
Their biggest surprise was, perhaps, the result against SSC Napoli in the round of 32. On-loan Premier League stars Kenedy and Yangel Herrera, on loan from Chelsea and Manchester City respectively, came up clutch for Granada as they beat Gennaro Gattuso's side by an aggregate scoreline of 3-2 to head into the last 16.
Even across both legs against Manchester United, Granada left a great account of themselves and rued their wastefulness in front of goal.
At Old Trafford, Herrera was on the receiving end of two brilliant headed chances inside the opening 20 minutes from two set-pieces. They then carved out another set-piece opportunity, this time for Jorge Molina, but the substitute failed to trouble David de Gea. Perhaps on another day, the Spanish side could have caused an upset, but beating the Premier League giants on their own turf proved to be too much of an ask for Granada.
It isn't hard to see why Diego Martinez, currently the youngest manager in LaLiga, is being monitored by clubs across Europe. The 40-year-old took Granada from Spain's second division to the Europa League quarter-finals in just two years, where the Nazaries bowed out having given their all. A truly beautiful story for the Andalusian club.
#2 Another smooth display from Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba has had a superb campaign for Manchester United so far, but has begun to thrive even more in his relatively new role for the club. Solskjaer has often toyed with playing Pogba on the left of the three men behind the centre-forward and, just days after a Man of the Match display against Tottenham Hotspur, this move paid off once again.
Despite only playing for 45 minutes, the French superstar registered the joint-most key passes, dribbles, aerials won, and made more tackles than any player on the pitch (five). Most importantly for Solskjaer and the Red Devils, he provided the assist for Edinson Cavani's opener.
On a night where they didn't need much to progress, Pogba was handed a start in this attacking role, and he was simply unplayable during the first half.
He can be more expressive on the pitch playing off the left, much like he was at Old Trafford against Granada. The influx of creativity higher up the pitch has also taken the weight off Bruno Fernandes' shoulders to create chances relentlessly.
In fact, it was this role that Pogba played during their tight affair at the San Siro where he scored just minutes after coming on to send Manchester United into the last eight. The Frenchman's resurgence in this new role could play a huge part in the decision over his future at the club ahead of the summer.
#1 Manchester United must do everything possible to keep Edinson Cavani
Despite opting against signing a direct replacement for Romelu Lukaku in the summer of 2019, Solskjaer managed to bring the best out of Anthony Martial and help him achieve his career-best figures at Old Trafford. However, after a dismal campaign that has seen him score just seven times in over 30 games, Edinson Cavani has shown the Norwegian precisely what he's been missing so far.
The Uruguayan was sensational against Spurs at the weekend and made the difference for his side once again with a goal to kill the tie on Thursday night. Much like Pogba, he only played 45 minutes, but the impact he had was enough to fire Manchester United to victory and the next round of the competition.
Cavani gave the Red Devils the lead in the sixth minute as he latched onto a header from Paul Pogba. The Uruguayan judged the trajectory of the ball to perfection before lashing it past a helpless Rui Silva with a venomous left-footed volley. It was his the 34-year-old's 50th goal in UEFA competitions and ninth in a Manchester United shirt.
Even apart from the goals he's scored, he's shown Manchester United what an experienced and, for all intents and purposes, a pure number nine can offer their attack. A striker who can sniff out goals and knows where to be at any given moment. Rumours suggest Cavani wants out of Old Trafford due to family-related matters amidst the ongoing pandemic, which Solskjaer himself has addressed.
Losing Cavani would be a massive blow for the Norwegian and his Red Devils as he's had a superb impact on their side so far.
They need to do all they can to keep the South American at the club, and if he does leave, they must replace him with someone who can offer a similar threat. He showed the Red Devils what they could miss next season with another splendid showing in a United shirt.
Also read: Top 10 strikers in the world this season (2020/21)
