In my last post I stated that I would have picked a win over Sevilla rather than victory over Liverpool. It was always possible to leap-frog Liverpool on the Premier League log but losing to Sevilla simply meant try again next season in the Champions League. I always avoid taking a piss at the coach because if he wins they call him a tactical genius, if he loses he’s tagged a loser but I will say Mourinho got his tactics wrong on Tuesday night and I won’t dwell much on this.
There was nothing wrong with starting the same side that played Liverpool on Sunday. Yeah maybe an Anthony Martial in place of Alexis Sanchez and before we make an argument that the latter should play to justify his wages I do not think it should be at the detriment of the team. Tactics and personnel (a few of them) deployed were absolutely horrible on the night.
I saw the Sevilla line-up and I was glad Wissam Ben Yedder was not in it. I still don’t get why Yedder barely gets game time in the La Liga and Champions League and it was also strange he did not play the first leg against Man Utd in February. Not when he is Sevilla’s top scorer in the Champions League with 6 goals before the round of 16 kicked off.
The game was looking like it was going into extra time after a goalless first half but all the advantage belonged to Sevilla because they had more efforts on goal despite the game being played at United’s home ground of Old Trafford. Then in the 72nd minute Yedder was brought on and 2 minutes later he scored which meant the Red Devils needed to score twice to have any chance of making it to the quarter finals.
Ben Yedder whom I am seriously hoping would go to the World Cup with France was taking no prisoners as he got a 2nd goal in the 78th minute and at that point I knew there was no coming back for United.
In form Man Utd striker Romelu Lukaku got a consolatory goal for the Mourinho led side in 84th minute and all efforts to get more goals was stifled by Sevilla players.
The game ended 1-2 in favour of Sevilla, which handed them a quarter final berth for the first time in about 60 years. I am sure a lot of people would pick Wissam Ben Yedder as the man of the match because he came off the bench to score a brace but Steven Nzonzi stole my heart on the night. Yedder is now the second top scorer of this season’s Champions League with 8 goals as Real Madrid’s Ronaldo lead the chart with 12 goals.
Should Mourinho have started Fellaini? Was Pogba’s introduction necessary or a Scott McTominay should have been the person brought on? All these are shoulda, woulda, coulda as we move on to the next one. We play Brighton in the Emirates FA Cup quarter final on Saturday and I expect a United victory.
Thanks for your time guys.
Twitter @dipoogun/@theswizzmemoirs
