Everyone in a Manchester United shirt was ecstatic last night after their crushing first-leg tennis victory over Roma – but one.
Though almost all of the action was at the other end when United's strikeforce blew the Italians apart, David de Gea was left to ponder how a night with his feet up somehow resulted in him digging the ball out of his net twice.
It was just the second time in United's last 19 games that they had conceded more than one goal, and while the statistic was unimportant to the result, it only goes to prove that when your luck runs out, it runs out – no matter how much fun your teammates are having.
After falling behind Dean Henderson in the pecking order, Thursday night provided a rare chance for United's highest-paid player to demonstrate his worth to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Instead, he was beaten by Lorenzo Pellegrini's 15th-minute penalty – the first penalty De Gea has conceded in five years – and Edin Dzeko's customary Old Trafford shot as the United goalkeeper was let down by the screen in front of him, with the dangerous Lorenzo Pellegrini allowed way too much space by Fred.
The only thing to say about his second half is that he had a fantastic end-on vision of the Cavani display.
De Gea made one routine save from a Dzeko header, but with the goals pouring in at the Stretford End, there was no hope of making a good impact.
His delivery is as erratic as ever, with Roma allowing two stay passes in the first half and a regular clearance just after halftime cannoning right into Dzeko just outside the penalty area. Fortunately, the ball died.
Of course, it's a squad game, and De Gea will be pleased that United is effectively in the final, but he didn't do much last night to change the manager's mind on who is now his No. 1.
Gideon Brooks' match summary for Manchester United's 6-2 victory over Roma.
If it wasn't already clear, last night demonstrated why Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is doing everything in his power to keep Edinson Cavani at Old Trafford next season.
If he is unable to sell another winter in Manchester's storm, he would expect that the Uruguayan will always leave them with a European trophy.
After Roma scored a penalty and Edin Dzeko did as he frequently does against United, Solskjaer's side remained in the semi-finals thanks to two moments of sheer class against Roma – one assist and a predator's finish that all took the breath away.
The veteran striker scored a tapped-in seventh, 'won' a penalty that made a joke of both referees, and laid on the sixth for Mason Greenwood after Pogba had added a fifth.
With such a lopsided scoreline, it's difficult to imagine Solskjaer not breaking his semi-final hoodoo, which has seen him lose four since taking over at Old Trafford and marching into the final in Gdansk on May 26.
If he can keep Bruno Fernandes happy, Cavani fit, and Pogba in this shape, a trophy and a repeat of their 2017 victory look like a real possibility.
Solskjaer admitted he agonized over the choice of Cavani over Greenwood, ultimately being swayed by the veteran’s strong performance against Tottenham earlier this month.
No comments:
Post a Comment