“Only him followed my instructions yesterday and he was outstanding”: Manchester United’s coach Ruben Amorim names the only player who followed his instructions against Real Sociedad yesterday
Paul Scholes highlighted two Manchester United players for praise after Thursday night’s draw against Real Sociedad.
Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad in the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie.
Joshua Zirkzee scored his first goal for Manchester United in Europe to open the scoring, but Mikel Oyarzabal’s penalty ensured the hosts secured a draw.
United controlled possession for large parts of the game but couldn’t convert their chances in front of goal to beat La Real. The biggest chance of the first half came after 37 minutes when both Zirkzee and Bruno Fernandes had shots cleared off the line.
The second half became a more open affair but the 1-1 draw means it’s all to play for at Old Trafford in next week’s second leg.
Paul Scholes impressed by Manchester United duo
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes is not concerned about the second leg.
Scholes named two United players he was impressed with during United’s draw with Real Sociedad, and he doesn’t think the La Liga outfit will cause problems in the return fixture next week.
Ruben Amorim opted to play Fernandes in a deeper role against Sociedad, along with Casemiro in central midfield. The Brazilian replaced the injured Manuel Ugarte and was one of United’s top performers on the night.
Speaking on TNT Sports’ live broadcast after the game, Scholes explained that he was impressed with Fernandes and Casemiro’s contribution in the middle of the pitch.
“No, not really,” Scholes said when asked if he was worried about the return leg. “You don’t really know what you’re going to get from Manchester United, whether it’s away or at home this year.
“I just didn’t see enough in Sociedad, really, to think they could go to Old Trafford and win. I think when you go to Old Trafford, especially, you need a bit of pace. It’s a big pitch. I didn’t see a lot of that from Sociedad down there. I thought United, in the main, were in control.
Casemiro had a high success rate for tackles won and completed 31 passes against La Real.
Moreover, the Brazil international won more tackles than any other player on the pitch.
His midfield partner Fernandes was unlucky to give away a penalty in the second half, which cost United a win at the end.
