Man United player ratings vs Real Sociedad: 8/10 ace silences Ratcliffe, 20yo powerhouse gets 9/10 in 4-1 victory | OneFootball

Manchester United defeated Real Sociedad 4-1 at Old Trafford on Thursday, securing their place in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

With the tie delicately poised at 1-1 from the first leg in Spain, both sides knew they had everything to play for.

The visitors took the lead after just 10 minutes, with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring from the penalty spot after VAR penalised Matthijs de Ligt for a foul.

Rasmus Hojlund was fouled inside Sociedad’s box, giving Bruno Fernandes the perfect chance to level the scores.

The Red Devils maintained relentless intensity, creating several half-chances, but their finishing touch remained elusive.

Right after the break, United were handed another golden opportunity when the referee pointed to the spot once again.

Fernandes stepped up with supreme confidence, smashing home his second of the night to put United 2-1 ahead.

United’s advantage grew even further when the referee showed Jon Aramburu a straight red card for denying Patrick Dorgu a clear goal-scoring opportunity.

Fernandes completed his hat-trick after some brilliant play from Alejandro Garnacho.

Diogo Dalot put the icing on the cake, netting United’s fourth goal to wrap up a dominant display.

Player Ratings

Andre Onana – 6/10

A comfortable evening for Onana where he made expected saves but should do better with his long-range passing.

Noussair Mazraoui – 7/10

Mazraoui started at right centre-back and rarely faced any trouble.

He ventured forward with confidence, showcasing his quick footwork before setting up a glorious chance for Joshua Zirkzee.

Matthijs de Ligt – 6/10

His night got off to a shaky start as he conceded an early penalty.

Ayden Heaven – 7/10

The 18-year-old made his full debut for United and looked unfazed at the European stage.

It seems Arsenal have lost another gem to United after Chido Obi.

Diogo Dalot – 7/10

Dalot started at right wing-back and smashed his shot into the roof of the net in the added time.

Patrick Dorgu – 9/10

Dorgu put on an electric display, playing a key role in several of United’s attacking moves.

He won a crucial penalty with his clever movement before drawing the foul that saw Aramburu sent off, further tilting the game in United’s favour.

Casemiro – 8/10

Casemiro produced his finest performance of the season, responding in style to recent criticism from Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

The Brazilian maestro dictated play from deep, spraying pinpoint long balls over the top and consistently carving out chances for his teammates.

Bruno Fernandes – 9/10

Another week, another masterclass from United’s talisman.

The Portuguese magnifico was the hat-trick hero, keeping his nerve twice from the penalty spot.

For his third, he made a lung-bursting run before unleashing a powerful, pinpoint strike past the goalkeeper.

Alejandro Garnacho – 7/10

The Argentine lacked sharpness in front of goal but made up for it with his relentless work rate.

He capped off his performance by setting up Fernandes for a chance to complete his hat-trick.

Joshua Zirkzee – 9/10

He would have received a 10/10 if he had been more clinical with his chances in front of the goal.

That aside, he was outstanding all evening, showcasing his intelligence and creativity.

Rasmus Hojlund – 7/10

Hojlund linked up brilliantly with Zirkzee and came agonisingly close to putting United 2-1 ahead.

He showcased his sharp vision with a clever cutback pass, perfectly setting up Dalot for his goal.

Substitutions

Toby Collyer – 6/10

The youngster gained some valuable minutes after his return from injury last week.

Christian Eriksen – NA

Too late to rate.

Article written by Sanidhya Bhardwaj .