SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain — Ruben Amorim left Spain on Thursday night with his UEFA Europa League hopes still intact after Manchester United‘s creditable 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad. But it could have been so much better.
If United could score, this tie might have been over ahead of the second leg at Old Trafford next week. Instead, it’s hanging in the balance and the Spanish side, who have their own problems finding the net, will head to Manchester with a belief that they can reach the last eight of a major European competition for the first time since 1989.
It would be an historic achievement for Sociedad. But with a trophy and UEFA Champions League football on the line, United need this too.
“It could be better, but could be worse because in the last 20 minutes I thought the team were really tired,” said Amorim.
“I felt the team was in control of the game and after the goal we were so near to the second goal with transitions. You felt in the stadium they were nervous. But in the end, when momentum changes, we get tired more easily. We take the game to Old Trafford and try to win there.”
Granted, there’s not much competition, but you could argue that for 70 minutes this was one of United’s best performances under Amorim.
Despite travelling to Spain with a threadbare squad, that meant the Portuguese coach could only name five outfield players on the bench, his team played with a control and composure that has often been missing.
This was a game which pitted the Premier League‘s sixth lowest scorers against the third lowest scorers in LaLiga and so perhaps it shouldn’t have been a surprise that it was 0-0 at half-time.
Still, United had the better of the first 45 minutes and created the only real chance when Bruno Fernandes saw a shot blocked on the line by Aritz Elustondo. It was a night when United’s deficiencies in front of goal were laid bare.
On one occasion in the first half, Diogo Dalot was presented with the chance to whip a cross towards Rasmus Højlund. Instead, he turned back and Højlund was left stranded in the penalty area flapping his arms in a fit of rage. Højlund hasn’t scored since December and didn’t manage a single shot against Sociedad.
“It was a clear position, Rasmus did really well, Dalot did really well, but the decision was not the best,” said Amorim.
“We are creating chances but sometimes you don’t see it in the xG because we manage not to shoot but the great opportunity is there and you can see it.
“We have transitions, we have situations and sometimes we are missing something. That can change something, especially in these kinds of games where we need goals. That can make a difference.”
Sociedad have their own problems and were missing their best player in Martín Zubimendi.
The midfielder — likely to join Arsenal in the summer — was ruled out through illness and without him La Real struggled to make anything happen for long periods.
United are far from prolific either and needed an element of fortune to score their goal just before the hour mark. A nice move involving Dalot and Alejandro Garnacho worked the ball to Joshua Zirkzee and his shot from the edge of the box flashed in. Sociedad goalkeeper Álex Remiro won’t want to see it again. It was well hit but only Remiro will know how it managed to hit the centre of the net. Whether he was unsighted or wrong-footed, he still should have saved it.
Zirkzee, with only one other goal in 2025, doesn’t have the luxury of caring how they go in.
“He deserved it because he is working really well,” said Amorim.
“He’s improving a lot of things in his game, he deserved this moment and he was really important for us today.”
At 1-0 up, the tie was there for the taking. With Sociedad tiring and their fans inside Reale Arena groaning in frustration, it felt as if a clinical last 30 minutes would have put United on the brink of a place in the quarterfinals.
Good positions were wasted and twice Garnacho missed chances to extend the lead. Then, in a flash, the game turned.
Video assistant referee Pol van Boekel was the only one in the stadium to spot Fernandes’ flailing arm blocking Nayef Aguerd‘s header and after consulting the screen, Slovakian referee Ivan Kruzliak pointed to the spot. It looked harsh, but Amorim will often refuse to talk about decisions he doesn’t agree with.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said when asked for his view.
Mikel Oyarzabal sent André Onana the wrong way and suddenly a game United were controlling descended into panic. Twice in the final five minutes, Sociedad had chances to win it prompting Amorim’s assessment that the result “could have been worse.”
It’s typical of his start as United boss that even on a night that offered plenty of positives, he was left to also ponder the negatives. He can only hope that his team don’t pay the price in the second leg at Old Trafford next week.
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