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FT Analysis: Sevilla 2-1 Manchester United
United on the other hand will be hugely disappointed. They played well, really well at times, but in both boxes they lacked something. They simply should have scored more than once. Their single goal for the second game running came from the penalty spot and that is not good enough if you want to progress at this level. They racked up chances, especially at the start of the second-half, but were not clinical enough to score a second. Then at the other end, some lackadaisical defending allowed De Jong space and time to tap in a relatively straight forward finish after a cross that was delivered too easily.
Solskjaer didn't have anything on the bench that could make the difference and by the end they were simply panicking. Clear minds and control have been lacking from United's two performances in Germany and despite playing well and having the lion share of chances and possession, they failed to make it count in the critical area.
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FT: Sevilla 2-1 Manchester United
FULL TIME IN COLOGNE!!!! FULL TIME!!!! FULL TIME!!!!
— Sevilla FC (@SevillaFC_ENG) August 16, 2020
ANOTHER FAMOUS WIN AGAINST @ManUtd AND WE'RE INTO OUR SIXTH @EuropaLeague FINAL!!!!!! YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!! GET INNNNN!!!!!!!!
⚽ @suso30oficial
⚽ @LuukdeJong9 #WeareSevilla #UEL pic.twitter.com/ztylS2EGnP
90+6' Sevilla 2-1 Manchester United
90+5' Sevilla 2-1 Manchester United
90+4' Sevilla 2-1 Manchester United
90+3' Sevilla 2-1 Manchester United
90+1' Sevilla 2-1 Manchester United
90' Sevilla 2-1 Manchester United
89' Sevilla 2-1 Manchester United
87' Sevilla 2-1 Manchester United
Fosu-Mensah for Williams
James for Wan-Bissaka
Mata for Rashford
One change for Sevilla:
Gudelj for Jordan
85' Sevilla 2-1 Manchester United
83' Sevilla 2-1 Manchester United
80' Sevilla 2-1 Manchester United
78' Sevilla 2-1 Manchester United - GOAL!
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!! GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL!!!!!! GOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLL!!!!!!!@LuukdeJong9 GIVES #SevillaFC THE LEAD!!!!!! GET INNNNNNN!!!!!!#SevillaFC 2-1 @ManUtd (79´)#WeareSevilla #UEL pic.twitter.com/l7fyg4BHwj
— Sevilla FC (@SevillaFC_ENG) August 16, 2020
75' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
72' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
The referee has just indicated that a check is on-going regarding a possible handball by Fernandes when blocking Jordan's free-kick but it doesn't appear that the Portuguese raised his arm or made his silhouette any larger. Correct, no handball is given. Carry on!
68' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
66' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
63' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
61' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
60' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
58' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
So. Close.#MUFC #UEL pic.twitter.com/8nZWS6SELF
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 16, 2020
56' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
Ocampos off, Munir on. En-Nesyri off, De Jong on.
55' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
53' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
52' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
50' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
48' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
47' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
46' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
A gallery of the first half
HT: Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
45+1' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
45' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
42' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
41' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
38' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
36' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
34' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
32' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
30' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
29' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
27' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United
26' Sevilla 1-1 Manchester United - GOAL!
GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLL!!!!!!!!@suso30oficial EQUALISES FOR #SevillaFC!!!!!! #SevillaFC 1-1 @ManUtd (26´)#WeareSevilla #UEL pic.twitter.com/iF46YUn3NF
— Sevilla FC (@SevillaFC_ENG) August 16, 2020
23' Sevilla 0-1 Manchester United
20' Sevilla 0-1 Manchester United
17' Sevilla 0-1 Manchester United
15' Sevilla 0-1 Manchester United
14' Sevilla 0-1 Manchester United
11' Sevilla 0-1 Manchester United
09' Sevilla 0-1 Manchester United - GOAL!
BRUUUUUUNNNOOOOO! WHAT A START! 🤩#MUFC #UEL pic.twitter.com/9xpM4Y95UJ
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 16, 2020
07' Sevilla 0-0 Manchester United - PENALTY!
The penalty has been awarded - that's United's 22nd this season in all competition: quite unbelievable!
06' Sevilla 0-0 Manchester United
04' Sevilla 0-0 Manchester United
03' Sevilla 0-0 Manchester United
02' Sevilla 0-0 Manchester United
Kick-off is nigh
In this semi-final, United are going to get us underway and are kicking from right to left in their new away kit of the charcoal variety. Sevilla are all in white.
Five minutes to go
Solskjaer speaks to BT Sport
"Of course it's difficult when Sergio's playing well but David's really really good in training and looks ready. We hope he's going to prove to make a difference for us. Romero is disappointed, he's a top professional and he's ready if we need him."
And on the match itself:
"We have to win tonight, it's the toughest opponent we've had since lockdown. We want to prove we're the toughest team they've had since lockdown."
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Warm-ups are taking place
New threads treading the boards this evening
📸 A behind-the-scenes look at the latest threads for the Reds 🧵#MUFC #UEL pic.twitter.com/EAK6Ok0CN0 — Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 16, 2020
Well, well, well!
In other news, Victor Lindelof returns to partner Harry Maguire in central defence, with Eric Bailly dropping to the bench. But Fred, who was taken off in the quarter-final tie on Monday, keeps his place ahead of Nemanja Matic.
🥁 Your #MUFC team news for our #UEL semi-final is in! 👊
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 16, 2020
📦 @DHLManUtd
It's far simpler for Sevilla who are unchanged from their semi-final. That means there is still no place for Munir El Haddadi, who leads the club's scoring charts in the competition with five goals and also two assists.
Youssef En-Nesyri, a January arrival from Leganes, is the preferred striker to lead the line alongside Suso, formerly of Liverpool, and Lucas Ocampos.
🚨 #SevillaFC starting XI 🆚 @ManUtd:
— Sevilla FC (@SevillaFC_ENG) August 16, 2020
Bono - Jesús Navas, Koundé, Diego Carlos, Reguilón - Fernando, Jordán, Banega, Ocampos, Suso - En-Nesyri. #WeareSevilla #UEL pic.twitter.com/x4iLbCyeZj
Evening All!
Sevilla: Bounou; Jesus Navas (c), Kounde, Diego Carlos, Reguilon; Banega, Fernando, Jordan; Suso, En-Nesyri, Ocampos.
Subs: Vaclik, Sanchez, Sergi Gomez, Munir, Gudelj, Escudero, L. De Jong, Oliver Torres, Vazquez, Alonso, Genaro, Pablo Perez.
Man Utd: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire (c), Williams; Fred, Pogba; Greenwood, Fernandes, Rashford; Martial.
Subs: Grant, Romero, Bailly, Fosu-Mensah, Mengi, Pereira, James, Lingard, Mata, Matic, McTominay, Ighalo.
Follow via VAVEL UK
How to watch the semi-final
You can also listen to the game on radio with both talkSport and BBC 5 Live carrying the match.
But, best of all, you can follow all of the action live on this page on VAVEL UK. We know which one you'll chose!
Press Conferences
"We are calm, we are really up for the game and we can't wait for it to come around. We are ambitious. The dressing room is, above all, excited. They can't wait to face the game we have in front of us."
"This is the best United we have seen in the last few years. They've found their way and for that they're unbeaten since January in a league that's as competitive as the Premier League. We are up against a complete outfit who will make us play at our best."
"They've had a day's extra rest but whenever this side faces difficulty we grow. We will try to ensure that makes us stronger. It's the luck of the draw but we will adapt and be ready."
"We like playing in these kind of important matches, of course. It's what we have worked and fought for all season. We have the chance to play in a really special match against a big club."
Sevilla goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou:
"We are really up for this and can't wait for the game. Personally here at Sevilla I've always felt part of things, whether I've been playing or not."
"We always study for each game but games are full of moments, and a moment is where anything can happen."
Manchester United manager, Solskjaer:
"We have had a few good days preparing, recovering and training. It's not very often we have six days between games, so we are ready. I'm looking forward to the semi-finals. We've been in them twice this season [in the FA Cup and League Cup] but we are not satisfied."
"In any game it is important to start well. If you start on the back foot, if you don't get first touches and tackle you go searching."
"[Our plan is to] Score more goals than them! We have to play our best game, play out of their press, be clever, be creative and step up in those big moments. These games will be decided on a set piece of a piece of individual brilliance."
"I think Sergio [Romero] is in a unique or special situation because he is in a goalkeeper department with one of the best from the last ten years. David [De Gea] has been exceptional, but it says so much about Romero that whenever he plays he performs. He has been a very good goalkeeper for us."
Manchester United midfielder, Bruno Fernandes:
"The team and staff helped me a lot [adapting to English football]. It was much easier for me. Maybe I already played in Italy so I know how it is to be in different leagues but the Premier League is different. I have the confidence from my club and my team-mates, and that helps you play your game."
"It is time for big players to step up, big game moments. You have to have 100 per cent focus. We have learnt it is very painful to lose a semi-final."
United must watch out for Banega
Banega has been one of Sevilla's best signings of the past decade and this season may have been his best. The possessional play that Julen Lopetegui's side deploy perfectly suits Banega, who uses positional awareness and perceptive passing to orchestrate his team's attacking play.
He capped off a a man-of-the-match performance in the quarter-final victory over Wolves by delivering a pinpoint cross for Lucas Ocampos's late headed winner. As ever, he was heavily involved in much that Sevilla did, he racked up 139 touches and completed 109 passes during the 90 minutes.
That game showed, once again, that the midfielder's on-pitch intelligence is the polar opposite of his off-the-field carelessness - he was fined for breaking lockdown rules.
And the conclusion for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is simple: if you want to stop Sevilla, you have to stop Ever Banega.
Team News
Victor Lindelof and Matic look poised to return to the starting XI in the semi-final after being rested for the win over Copenhagen.
Sergio Romero has featured in nine of the 11 Europa League games but Solskjaer may decide to trust David de Gea in what is one of their biggest games of the season.
Sevilla are back to a full-strength squad after midfielder, Nemanja Gudelj, who tested positive for COVID-19 on the return to training to prepare for the Europa League, has travelled to Germany on Thursday following a period of isolation and a negative test.
Former Manchester City pair Jesus Navas and Fernando will start as will the lively Suso, who made 21 appearances for Liverpool during a largely unsuccessful spell in the Premier League.
Possible XIs:
United Romero; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Williams; Matic, Pogba; Greenwood, Fernandes, Rashford; Martial.
Sevilla Bounou; Navas, Carlos, Kounde, Reguilon; Banega, Fernando, Jordan; Suso, En-Nesyri, Ocampos.
Preamble
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side got the better of a stubborn Copenhagen side in extra-time in their quarter-final last week thanks to their 21st penalty in all competitions this season, four of which have come in the Europa League.
Here, though, United face a team which knocked them out of Europe two seasons ago (in the last-16 round of the Champions League). Sevilla have reached the Europa League semi-final on three previous occasions and gone on to win the tournament each time (2014, 2015, 2016). Before that they won back-to-back Uefa Cups in the competition's previous guise.
Julen Lopetegui's team needed an 88th-minute winner to emerge past Wolves in the last round. And United's task is a tough one as their opponents have only been eliminated in one of their past 20 knockout ties in the competition.
Solskjaer's team have lost out in the semi-finals of the League Cup and FA Cup already this season - will it be third time lucky for them?
Match Info
This is the first of two semi-finals with Internazionale facing Shakhtar Donetsk on Monday.
Welcome
I'm Oliver Miller and will be guiding you through the game as the two teams vie for a place in Friday's final.
I will be providing you with pre-game analysis, team news and live updates once the game gets underway.

For Sevilla, they will be in Friday's final against either Inter or Shakhtar, who face off tomorrow in the other semi-final.
Anyhow, thanks for your company this evening. It's been emotional. Until the next time....Goodnight.