Real Sociedad 1-1 Man Utd: Match report & 3 talking points as first leg hands Red Devils slight advantage | OneFootball

Manchester United will have a 90-minute shootout against Real Sociedad at Old Trafford next week to reach the quarter-finals of a European competition for only the second time since 2021.

Thursday evening's Europa League last 16 first ended in a 1-1 draw at La Real's Anoeta in San Sebastian, keeping the tie level on aggregate ahead of the return fixture.

Joshua Zirkzee fired United ahead just shy of the hour mark, before Mikel Oyarzabal's penalty brought the Spanish side back into the tie.

How the game unfolded

The first half was not memorable in the slightest. A team more ruthless than Real Sociedad might have smelled the metaphorical blood seeping from their visitors, but they didn’t.

Attacks from the hosts, missing star midfielder Martin Zubimendi through injury, didn't ask the right questions and often fizzled out by the time the ball was nearing United’s box. Ruben Amorim's heavily depleted side were not quite as toothless, but not vastly better.

Alejandro Garnacho's shot 12 minutes in was comfortably saved by La Real goalkeeper Alex Remiro, who also gathered a header from Diogo Dalot shortly before the break that was straight at him. Patrick Dorgu also fired over with a shot that lacked conviction after an initial counter had slowed.

The real big moment of the opening 45 minutes came towards the closing stages, with Bruno Fernandes seeing what looked it should have been a certain goal blocked on the line after Dalot's low cross towards the penalty spot. Zirkzee followed up by Remiro incredibly saved it.

The second half was instantly better. Both sides manufactured improved moments within a few minutes of the restart, with Euro 2024 final matchwinner Oyarzabal only denied converting a front-post chance by a last-ditch Matthijs de Ligt tackle. At the other end, Garnacho shot into the side netting from a promising position, before hitting another straight at Remiro.

Garnacho didn't let those misses faze him and was soon involved again. With the game approaching the hour mark, he turned creator, driving towards the penalty area on the right and delivering a cutback to the edge of the box that Zirkzee gratefully struck first time into the net.

But La Real hit back. After an effort from Brais Mendez had missed the target, a corner a few minutes later yielded a penalty for the hosts. It seemed harsh, Fernandes penalised for a handball as he jumped to win a header. The referee didn't whistle in real time and only pointed to the spot after VAR intervened. Oyarzabal waited a long time to take the kick but kept his cool to convert.

The fortuitous goal brought the home crowd to life and it breathed energy into the players on the pitch. Into the final 15 minutes and Andre Onana had to be alert to push a speculative drive from Mendez behind for a corner. Substitute Orri Oskarsson later toe-poked a glorious opportunity wide, before the Icelander was denied in stoppage time by a big Onana save to keep it 1-1.

Check out the player ratings from Real Sociedad vs Man Utd here.

Few bench options for Amorim

Ruben Amorim only had 15 outfield players to work with / Soccrates Images/GettyImages

Only 18 players were fit enough – or eligible in Chido Obi's case – to make the journey to San Sebastian. With UEFA rules permitting 23 players in a matchday squad, in other words up to 12 substitutes on the bench, United were running very light.

Of the seven players who didn't start, two were academy goalkeepers, two were teenage defenders, another was Toby Collyer – himself an inexperienced youngster only just back from injury. Victor Lindelof, a defender, was also among the subs, leaving an ageing Christian Eriksen as the sole way the United coach could hope to inject any kind of different attacking impetus into the team.

Hojlund is getting a raw deal

Rasmus Hojlund isn't getting the service / Ion Alcoba Beitia/GettyImages

Rasmus Hojlund has not had the season he would have wanted after a respectable debut campaign as a United player in 2023/24. The Dane, who only recent turned 22, has often taken the brunt of criticisms aimed at the team's lack of attacking firepower.

But the blame has been disproportionate and unfair. That was fully evident during a moment midway through the first half when Diogo Dalot ran into space down the right. Hojlund anticipated what was happening and burst forward, in front of his marker, towards the penalty area. The goal would have been at his mercy with a simple ball rolled into his path.

Dalot either didn't see or chose to ignore the intelligent run, instead slowing the play, checking back and ultimately losing the attacking advantage by allowing too many defenders to recover. Hojlund was completely blameless in that situation, doing everything expected but not getting the ball.

Lisandro Martinez noted earlier in the season that as much fault lies with the rest of the players on the pitch for not providing the necessary service for strikers to actually score.

Man Utd have home advantage in the second leg / Ion Alcoba Beitia/GettyImages

Out of the Carabao Cup, out of the FA Cup and beaten 12 times in the Premier League this season, Europe has offered some welcome respite for United.

Nine games into the Europa League, they still remain unbeaten. Oyarzabal's penalty was also the solitary fine margin denying Amorim's side a sixth consecutive European win.

What's perhaps of slight disappointment is that United couldn't do more to put the tie to bed at 1-0 up, when La Real hadn't turned up. It was only really the penalty out of nowhere that brought the hosts level and prompted a more confident finish to the game.

That being said, the tie is still now just about in United's favour. Away goals don't count for any extra these days, but they aren't behind in the aggregate score-line and, in theory, have home advantage at Old Trafford for the second leg next week.

It's a slender advantage, but it is still an advantage.