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Almost 5 months after a dominant away 5-0 win over LASK, Manchester United made sure of a place in the Europa League quarter-finals with a 2-1 win over the Austrian outfit at Old Trafford.
Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial scored for the Red Devils, who had gone behind 10 minutes into the second half thanks to a wonder-strike from Philipp Wiesinger.
Even though United’s progression was a foregone conclusion following their performance in the first leg of the tie, the visitors put in a much-improved showing and made life uneasy for their English hosts.
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Having threatened to mount an unlikely comeback by hitting the bar in the first half, LASK took the lead in the 55th minute thanks to a long-range wonder strike from Wiesinger. However, United were level barely two minutes later, with Jesse Lingard finishing coolly after a quick counter-attack.
The hosts then grew into the game but failed to take their chances even as LASK created some promising opportunities at the other end. However, the turnaround was completed late on by substitute Anthony Martial, who played a neat one-two with Juan Mata before seeing his shot go through the opposition goalkeeper and roll slowly into the net.
With a single-leg quarter-final match-up against Danish side FC Copenhagen awaiting United in Germany next week, here are 5 talking points from the match that secured the Red Devils’ progress to the Europa League quarters.
#1. Fringe players fail to impress
A lot has been made of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer picking a fairly settled playing eleven in the second half of the season, but this match presented the manager with an opportunity to give the rest of his squad a go.
Only Harry Maguire and Brandon Williams retained their places from the United side that started against Leicester City on the final day of the Premier League season. However, with a largely second-string side on the field, with the added security of a formidable first-leg lead, United lacked the cutting-edge and were disappointing in the final third.
Even though they got into a number of promising positions, the final ball or the finish let them down on a number of occasions. Players such as Daniel James, Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Fred, who were drafted into the side in place of fairly established first-teamers, did not make the most of their chances.
Even the veteran Juan Mata, who was lovely to watch at times and set up both goals, was often guilty of coming up short in the attacking third.
#2 Romero stakes claim for more playing time
Manchester United’s goalkeeping worries this season have been well-documented, with first-choice keeper David de Gea making his fair share of blunders in goal.
While that has been happening, however, Sergio Romero has been going about his business as usual, turning in excellent displays in United’s cup matches, both domestic and European.
The experienced Argentine made a number of smart stops against LASK as well - it needed a special strike from distance to beat him eventually. This goal was only the second Romero has conceded in the Europa League this season, with his displays in goal for United in Europe surely being enough to guarantee him a starting berth in the latter stages of the tournament as well.
Also Read: 10 most expensive transfers in Premier League history
#3 Solskjaer looking towards the future
Solskjaer’s willingness to play youngsters this season has paid off, with the likes of Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams enjoying breakout seasons for the club. Having already handed first-team debuts to a whole host of players against Astana in the group stage of the Europa League earlier in the season, United’s manager brought on another youngster for his first appearance this season.
18-year-old defender Teden Mengi, who has caught the eye with his displays for United’s youth teams this season, came on to replace Timothy Fosu-Mensah for his first appearance with the senior team.
While there has been a lot of talk about United making moves in the transfer market ahead of the start of the 2020-21 season, it appears that Solskjaer is not averse to bringing youngsters from the youth squads through to the senior side.
#4 A lack of squad depth at United?
Despite enjoying remarkable success in the second half of the season, it has been noted by several observers that the drop-off in quality between United’s established first-teamers and second-string players is quite stark.
Midfield creativity takes quite a hit when the likes of Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes are replaced by Fred and Scott McTominay, even though the Brazilian and the Scotsman have played significant roles in getting United to where they are this season.
Similarly, Daniel James has failed to capitalise on an encouraging start to the season and is viewed as a significant downgrade in terms of attacking output when compared to Mason Greenwood.
In defence, a comparable replacement for Aaron Wan-Bissaka is yet to be found, with questions being raised over the quality of both Diego Dalot and Timothy Fosu-Mensah.
On the other side, Luke Shaw and Brandon Williams have enjoyed successful seasons, but an injury to Shaw and the need to preserve Williams for the next round of the Europa League meant that Tahith Chong, normally a left-winger, had to fill in at left-back for a period of time.
Solskjaer will be looking to address these issues ahead of the next season if United are to build on an encouraging third-place finish this time round.
#5. Lingard slowly making a return to form
Jesse Lingard has endured a frustrating season at Old Trafford and has openly addressed the personal difficulties he faced in recent months. Just nine starts in the Premier League, along with a handful of substitute appearances, is the fewest he has made since breaking into the side a few years ago.
Also Read: I lost who I was as a player - Lingard addresses Man United struggles
However, the 27-year-old seems to be coming into a bit of form as the season draws to a close. Having scored his first (and only) Premier League goal of the season with the last kick of the game on the final day against Leicester City, Lingard made in two in two games with the equaliser against LASK.
The English midfielder looked confident on the ball during his time on the pitch as well, getting involved in attacking moves and embarking on a few promising runs. His goal marked the first time he has scored back-to-back for United since December 2018, something he will definitely be looking to build on as the Europa League campaign develops.
Also Read: 10 most expensive transfers in Premier League history
