Man United beat Real Betis 4-1 in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie at Old Trafford on Thursday night.
Manchester United put one foot in the quarter-finals of the Europa League with a convincing 4-1 win over Real Betis in the first leg of their last 16 showdown at Old Trafford on Thursday evening.
Determined to make amends for Sunday’s 7-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield, United made the perfect start, getting their noses in front after just six minutes through Marcus Rashford’s 26th goal of the season. However, Betis hit back just past the half-hour mark through Leicester City loanee Ayoze Perez.
Manchester United cruised past Real Betis on Thursday evening. (Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images.)
Manchester United put one foot in the quarter-finals of the Europa League with a convincing 4-1 win over Real Betis in the first leg of their last 16 showdown at Old Trafford on Thursday evening.
Determined to make amends for Sunday’s 7-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield, United made the perfect start, getting their noses in front after just six minutes through Marcus Rashford’s 26th goal of the season. However, Betis hit back just past the half-hour mark through Leicester City loanee Ayoze Perez.
The Spaniard found space inside the penalty area to drive an excellent finish into the bottom corner, sparking wild scenes in the away end at the other end of the stadium. Despite suffering that setback, United responded brilliantly after the interval, reclaiming the lead just seven minutes into the second half.
After being picked out by Bruno Fernandes, Antony curled a trademark, left-footed effort into the top corner, leaving goalkeeper Claudio Bravo with absolutely no chance. Fernandes, who was heavily criticised for his performance at Anfield, then got in on the act himself, extending United’s lead with a powerful header just six minutes later.
Burnley loanee Wout Weghorst then made his mark on the contest, scoring his first Old Trafford goal with eight minutes of normal time left on the clock to complete the scoring. It means United will head into next Thursday’s second leg in Spain in a commanding position, though manager Erik ten Hag is unlikely to leave anything to chance.
Not only did the victory boost United’s hopes of reaching the last eight of the Europa League, it also extended their unbeaten run at Old Trafford to 20 matches. They have won 18 fixtures during that run, only being halted by Leeds United and Newcastle United.
As well as now being 20 games unbeaten on their own patch, the win over Betis also marked a 15th successive home game in which the Reds have now scored two goals or more. It is a feat that they had not previously achieved since October 2000, highlighting just how big an achievement it is.
United, who will be looking to maintain their brilliant Old Trafford record when they host Southampton on Sunday in the Premier League, last failed to score two or more goals in a game on their own patch against West Ham United on October 30. They won 1-0 that day, courtesy of a brilliant first-half header from Rashford.
It is only the fourth time in the club’s rich and colourful history that they have netted 2+ goals in 15 consecutive home games, meaning it is not a trait that has come easily. In total, United have netted 41 goals in their last 15 Old Trafford outings.
Source: manchestereveningnews.co.uk
