Nothing is ever easy or straightforward with Manchester United, particularly with this current version of the team.
No sooner had Joshua Zirkzee given United the lead, against opponents with an even bigger phobia of scoring than them, than they relinquished that advantage. Bruno Fernandes conceded a penalty with a needless handball, the hosts converting from the spot to make it honours even ahead of next Thursday’s return leg at Old Trafford.
United maintained their unbeaten run in Europe this season and kept their season alive, but this could and should have been a win that would have put them in pole position to advance. They have home advantage next week, but with Ruben Amorim’s side having struggled there all season, there can be no guarantees that United will prevail to reach the quarter-finals.
With Amorim missing 11 players through injury and ineligibility, and only able to name seven subs, his starting line-up was as expected, with few options on the bench. Despite their domestic woes, the Europa League had provided United with some salvation in an otherwise miserable season, with the team undefeated in eight games in the competition.
No other team in the Champions League or Europa League could boast that record this season, yet United’s hopes of extending that impressive run would be put to the stiffest test in San Sebastian. Real Sociedad, ninth in La Liga, were without their star player, Arsenal target Martin Zubimendi, who missed out because of illness, having recovered from a hamstring issue sustained at the weekend.
United had to wait until the 11th minute for their first chance, Alejandro Garnacho sending a shot straight at Sociedad keeper Alex Remiro, after a swift counter-attack involving Rasmus Hojlund.
In the 20th minute, United put their opponents under further pressure, Matthijs De Ligt spotting Diogo Dalot’s run down the right and finding him with a fine long ball. But Dalot’s decision-making let him down yet again and he failed to cross first time, earning a deserved rebuke from Hojlund, who was in a dangerous position, waiting for the ball.
United somehow failed to score with a flurry of shots in the 36th minute that were repelled by the hosts, Bruno Fernandes and Zirkzee going agonisingly close. And when the half-time whistle went, it signalled 20 consecutive games in which United. have failed to score from open play in the first-half.
Although Andre Onana was hardly troubled in the first-half, the frequency with which United surrendered possession had Amorim shaking his head in dismay at times.
Fernandes sent a long-range free-kick wide just after the restart, Garnacho thudded a shot into the side-netting and United continued to look unlikely to score. Yet the breakthrough came in the 57th minute, Garnacho cutting the ball back for Zirkzee, whose shot somehow eluded Remiro, going under his outstretched right hand and over the line.
On Sunday, Zirkzee was United’s fall-guy, left in tears as his penalty shoot-out miss confirmed their exit from the FA Cup. But redemption came with his goal, even if it was short-lived.
The hosts were handed a lifeline in the 68th minute when they were awarded a penalty for a handball by Fernandes, following a VAR review, Oyarzabal converting from the spot to make it 1-1.
United received a major let-off six minutes from time, when sub Orri Oskarsson managed to put the ball wide with the goal at his mercy, Amorim’s defence once again caught out. Onana produced another fine save in added time to deny Oskarsson and earn United a hard-fought draw, with the tie evenly poised ahead of next week’s rematch.
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