MANCHESTER UNITED were beaten 11-10 on penalties in an epic Europa League final shootout with Villarreal.
The defeat stretches United’s trophy drought to four years, while Marcus Rashford took to social media to say fans sent him racist messages after the loss.
Meanwhile, we’ve the very latest on Youri Tielemans plus an update on David De Gea’s future.
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DAVID BLAME
David de Gea ignored his cheat-sheet as Manchester United lost their Europa League final penalty shootout against Villarreal.
The note, slipped into the goalkeeper’s towel, even gave additional advice on each player’s run-up.
However, De Gea was unable to save ANY of Villarreal’s 11 spot-kicks, before missing his own to hand the Spaniards their first-ever major trophy – and extend United’s trophyless streak to four years.
The Spaniard initially followed his cheat-sheet to the letter – only having no advice for Moreno – but was unable to keep any out.
During the crucial sudden-death period, De Gea went off-book THREE times.
Moi Gomez took Villarreal’s sixth penalty, with his notes revealing he would go down the middle.
But De Gea dived to his left, with Gomez – as suggested – rolling the ball into the centre of the goal.
SOL DESTROYING
Gary Neville has slammed Manchester United’s performance in the Europa League final against Villarreal.
HARRY UP
Garteh Southgate has lifted the lid on why injured Harry Maguire was included in his 33-man England provisional squad for Euro 2020.
Maguire’s ankle problem saw him miss Manchester United’s Europa League final against Villarreal, though he was surprisingly named on the bench.
Southgate said: “We had an initial assessment on Maguire, which was positive in terms of the tournament, but there was always a little bit more swelling and further investigation needed.
“When you’ve got a European final and information for the opposition is so tight, and things do leak, I understand why clubs want to keep their cards close to their chest.
‘It’s made it a bit more difficult for us but I don’t have a problem with United.
“We’ve got some injuries that are at various stages, (with) a couple that we have very little information about at the moment.”
ON THE PAUL
Paul Scholes has been left red-faced after his overly-confident Europa League final predictions backfired.
Before kick-off the pundit told BT Sports: “You’re playing Villarreal here. You’re playing a team that finished seventh in a really poor LaLiga.
“Think of Real Madrid and Barcelona, how bad have they been? Manchester United should win this game comfortably.”
Turning his attention to Spurs loanee Juan Foyth who was playing as a makeshift right-back, he added: “Foyth was a bad centre-back at Tottenham, now he’s playing right-back, how can Rashford not destroy him?”
With United trailing through Gerard Moreno, he said: “I’m still confident.
“They’ve been in this position a lot of times this season. I think if they’re patient, they’ll open this team up. They’ll get one goal and two or three will come.”
Edinson Cavani did manage to equalise on 55 minutes but United failed to find the all-important second in 65 minutes of football before the 11-10 defeat on penalties.
PAU WOW
Man Utd fans are encouraging boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to land Pau Torres after his brilliant Europa League final performance.
Torres, 24, has been linked with a move to Old Trafford this summer and has a £55million release clause in his contract.
Solskjaer is in the market for a new central defender to play alongside Harry Maguire.
And supporters believe Torres would be the answer to their defensive problems following his commanding performance.
One wrote: “Pau Torres is exactly what we need.”
Another added: “Pau Torres please. Do the deal before the summer madness.”
A third wrote: “If that was Pau Torres’ audition, then I think he passed.”
OH NO, BRUNO
Bruno Fernandes gave Villarreal a huge advantage by making Manchester United go second in the Europa League final penalty shootout, according to an expert.
United recovered from a goal down in Gdansk to take the game to extra-time thanks to Edinson Cavani’s second-half strike.
Eventually the game went to penalties, with captain for the night Fernandes winning the coin toss.
The Portuguese playmaker opted to shoot second, with the first 21 penalties all converted.
David De Gea missed in sudden death as Villarreal were crowned champions – reducing Fernandes to tears.
But LSE professor and psychological studies expert Ignacio Palacios-Huerta revealed United were always up against it thanks to Fernandes’ decision.
He explained shooting second takes a mental toll on players handing the side shooting first up to a 20 per cent advantage.
Read more HERE.
EUR HAVING A LAUGH
Villarreal goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli has rubbed salt into Manchester United’s Europa League wounds after revealing his winning goal was the FIRST penalty he has ever taken.
The Argentine, 29, broke the Red Devils’ hearts in Wednesday’s final with his shoot-out heroics after the game ended in a 1-1 draw as he saved David De Gea’s spot-kick after scoring his own.
Commenting on his goal, he said: “That was the first penalty I have ever taken in my life. I just wanted it to go in. I don’t even know what I did.
“I thought I would hit the ball hard, and hope it went in.
“I could never in my wildest dreams have imagined a sequence of penalties like that.
“We are the champions – and that is the best thing that one can say.”
SOL SEARCHING
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is odds-on to not be the Man Utd boss by the end of next season.
The Norwegian gaffer is odds-on with bookmaker Coral at 4-5 following the Europa League final defeat to Villarreal.
Commenting on his future, Coral’s Harry Aitkenhead said: “Solskjaer has come so close to achieving success with United, but another season without a trophy means that he is beginning to run out of time.
“We now make it odds-on that he does not end next season as Manchester United manager.
“(Max) Allegri, (Brendan)Rodgers and (Mauricio)Pochettino are the three we can picture in the dugout in the future the most.
“Whilst you can’t rule out (Zinedine) Zidane and (Antonio) Conte either when the role does next become available.”
WAN OF A KIND
Former Manchester United and England star Andrew Cole believes that Aaron Wan-Bissaka was unlucky not to make Gareth Southgate’s provisional 33-man Euro 2020 squad.
He told talkSPORT 2: “When anyone gets mentioned regarding the right-back position, they always say they’re not sure about players defensively, especially Alexander-Arnold.
“Wan-Bissaka is the opposite. Defensively, he’s brilliant.
“Going forward, he doesn’t attack as good as he rest of the boys.
“But defensively, he’s up there with the best of them.”
OLE TRAFFORD
Hear what Olle Gunnar Solskjaer had to say following the Europa League final defeat.
KEEP SAKE
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has explained why he did not replace David De Gea with Dean Henderson ahead of last night’s penalty shootout defeat to Villarreal.
Not only did stopper De Gea fail to save a single one of Villarreal’s efforts, he was also the unfortunate one to miss as the LaLiga outfit claimed the prize.
That continued De Gea’s poor penalty record – which now stands at 36 without a save.
Speaking of why De Gea stayed on, Solskjaer said: “You go through every scenario, of course. And it had crossed my mind in the build-up to the game but we were confident in David and prepared.
Anything can happen in a penalty shootout. I stuck with the ‘keeper who played all of the game.
“I’ve got to say the penalty shootout was high quality, but we didn’t do enough in the 120 minutes to score more goals and that’s the disappointing bit.
“We had pressure, we had moments where we felt if we can just kick on a little bit now we can get a goal. But we just couldn’t.”
A GOOD EBENING
Unai Emery has credited losing with Arsenal in the 2019 Europa League final as a key factor as to how Villarreal beat Man Utd last night.
Speaking after the Europa League final victory in Gdansk, he said: “I believe it’s not a sporting revenge at all. I try to enjoy every moment, winning and losing.
“I try to create new circumstances, so everywhere I have been, even in England at Arsenal, I have learnt a lot, met many people, other cultures and football.
“At the end of that story was professional frustration, but some other doors opened then.
“Winning today is a satisfaction, but for my club today, as it was when I was at Sevilla.
“When I was at Arsenal, we played a Europa League final and could not win but it is a process, from that game I learnt a lot to win this one maybe.”
SPOT OF BOTHER
Man Utd legend Paul Scholes has hit out at David De Gea after his penalty heartache.
The Spaniard conceded 11 of Villarreal’s spot-kicks before missing his own as United failed to end their four-year wait for silverware.
De Gea, 30, has now failed to save a penalty for five years with his last coming against Everton in the 2016 FA Cup semi-final. That record extends to 38 penalties without making a save.
Speaking to BT Sport, Scholes said: “Once you get to penalties, anything can happen, we know that.
“I always feel a little bit worried, being an Englishman, that we’re going to be on the wrong side of it.
“But I have to say, David – we spoke about his record before it – he didn’t look like saving a penalty.
“They got a little bit lucky with Luke Shaw’s penalty as well. It’s a difficult night to take, but give Villarreal credit.”
PAUL THE OTHER ONE
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes slammed the side as seeming to ‘accept losing’.
He said: “Does losing hurt them enough? It has almost become an accepted thing.
“Where is the demand on Ole? I don’t think they will saying he has to win a trophy. He has made progress.
“For now, I don’t think the demand is there on him.”
While Scholes was critical of United’s big flop in Gdansk, fellow United legend Rio Ferdinand believes Solskjaer now needs supporting in the transfer market.
He added: “I think he has done enough even with this result to have a summer transfer window and go into next season.
“I think next season the demand needs to be there to win trophies because that is what this club is built on.”
Bruno Fernandes was overcome with emotion at the end of a dramatic tie SOL DESTROYING
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has urged his deflated troops to ‘taste the defeat’ after they lost the Europa League final against Villarreal.
He said: “We’ve got to, not savour this one, but taste this feeling and make sure we don’t get it again.
“It’s quiet [in the dressing room] of course. It’s a disappointed dressing room. That’s football for you. Sometimes it’s decided on one kick and that’s the difference between winning and losing. Got to learn from that one.
“Now is not the time to point the finger at what I’d have done differently. But when you come out without the trophy you haven’t done everything right.
“We’re getting closer and closer and better. We were one kick away from a trophy and a good night.
“We have to have the desire to come back next year and improve. The only way to get the margins your side is to work harder and better. Can Manchester United call this season a success? No.”
RACISM STORM
Marcus Rashford has claimed he was subjected to ‘at least 70 racial slurs’ online including from a ‘maths teacher’ after defeat to Villarreal.
Rashford played every minute of the Europa League final, which went to penalties after a 1-1 draw.
He tweeted: “At least 70 racial slurs on my social accounts counted so far.
“For those working to make me feel any worse than I already do, good luck trying.
“I’m more outraged that one of the abusers that left a mountain of monkey emojis in my DM is a maths teacher with an open profile.
“He teaches children!! And knows that he can freely racially abuse without consequence…”
GOOD MORNING UNITED FANS
David de Gea’s penalty miss consigned the Red Devils to a dramatic Europa League final loss to Villarreal.
Unai Emery’s side won 11-0 on penalties, with every player on the pitch bar De Gea scoring.
Gerard Moreno had given Villarreal the lead against the run of play on the half hour mark, after being lost by Luke Shaw and evading Victor Lindelof.
Solskjaer cajoled his side at the break, and his side were soon level.
Edinson Cavani was in the right place at the right time, as he so often is, to prod the Red Devils level in the 55th minute.
No one could snatch a winner within 90 minutes, however, and the match went to extra time in Gdansk.
The match meandered on, with both goalkeepers rarely tested.
And it then went to a marathon penalty shoot-out, with every penalty going in before De Gea’s tame kick was denied by Geronimo Rulli.
Meanwhile on the transfer front, Tottenham will demand £200million for Harry Kane this summer, according to reports.
United, rivals City and Chelsea are all interested in signing the England skipper but Daniel Levy won’t make it easy.
According to The Independent, the 59-year-old will demand ‘at least’ £200m to ‘even consider’ letting his side’s No10 go.
Levy even values Kane as more important to the club than Gareth Bale was in 2013, prior to his then world record move to Real Madrid.
But the Indy also claim that Levy’s stance isn’t as ‘sure-footed’ as before – because of the financial pressures brought about by the pandemic, as well as Spurs’ new stadium.
And finally, United legend Gary Pallister thinks his former club should sign Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho this summer.
He told SBK sportsbook: “That right-hand side has been a problem for United all season.
“Sancho is exciting and had a great time in Germany scoring goals and getting assists.
“He looked as though he was going to come in last season but Dortmund played hardball and it didn’t get over the line. I think he’s eager to come… a real no-brainer.
“He’s the type of player that would excite the United fans next season. These kinds of players are going to cost a pretty penny and that’s the worrying thing.
“After the pandemic and the way clubs have been hit I don’t know whether you can afford to bring in two massive signings like Harry Kane and Sancho.”
DAVE CAN’T SAVE
David de Gea’s penalty miss consigned Manchester United to a dramatic Europa League final loss to Villarreal.
Unai Emery’s side won 11-0 on penalties, with every player on the pitch bar De Gea scoring.
Gerard Moreno had given Villarreal the lead against the run of play on the half hour mark, after being lost by Luke Shaw and evading Victor Lindelof.
Solskjaer cajoled his side at the break, and his side were soon level.
Edinson Cavani was in the right place at the right time, as he so often is, to prod the Red Devils level in the 55th minute.
No one could snatch a winner within 90 minutes, however, and the match went to extra time in Gdansk.
The match meandered on, with both goalkeepers rarely tested.
And it then went to a marathon penalty shoot-out, with every penalty going in before De Gea’s tame kick was denied by Geronimo Rulli.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Manchester United stars were given some last-minute nuggets of advice by club legend Sir Alex Ferguson before Wednesday’s Europa League final with Villarreal.
The 79-year-old has flown out to Gdansk in Poland to cheer on the current crop of Red Devils.
FT: UNITED 1 VILLARREAL 1
Edinson Cavani’s second-half strike has sent the final to extra-time!
MAKING HIS MARC
Rio Ferdinand has praised Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford for campaigning against child hunger.
Speaking to ITV’s Robert Peston, Ferdinand said: “I think Marcus has done remarkably well.
“I think he’s a young man who is really showing the way for a lot of the young players and people in society that if you believe in something, and you have a platform, you have a voice, and you have the ability to really transcend and change things.
“And even going up against the establishment, almost, they did that with confidence and he got the backing of the nation, and listen, you have to understand as well, it was a cause that was worthwhile.
“In the end Boris Johnson came around and understood that right thing to do was to follow Marcus’s lead and that’s an unbelievable achievement.”
HT: UNITED 0 VILLARREAL 1
A dominant first half from the Red Devils in terms of possessions but a sucker-punch from Gerard Moreno has given the Spaniards the advantage.
GUNNAR BE GREAT
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hopes Europa League glory will kick-start another trophy-laden era at Manchester United.
He said: “These are big nights for us. We have five wins in Europe and it might be the stepping stone for something better to come, a bright future.
“This is a young team and it’s a team we have rebuilt over the last couple of years, so hopefully this is the start of something more.
“When players get the taste of success and win trophies, it can go two ways – ‘We’ve done it now and we can relax’ or it just gives you more of that feeling.
“You want more, you want it all the time, you want the feeling again with your team-mates, with your club.
“I trust these players. I’ve seen something grow inside them – more and more confident, more robust, resilient – and as a group, I’m confident we’re ready for this now.”
DONNA GET HIM
AC Milan have confirmed contract-rebel keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has left the club.
The 22-year-old stopper’s deal runs out next month and the Italian have refused to match his wage demands after drawn-out talks.
Milan technical director Paolo Maldini told reporters: “He [Donnarumma] has been a protagonist of this season.
“It’s getting more and more difficult to find players who start in a team and always end up staying.
“The roads with Gigio are splitting, I can only wish him the best.”
Former wonderkid Donnarumma has been linked with several top European clubs, including Premier League giants Manchester United and Chelsea.
TEAM NEWS
Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford are both starting for Manchester United tonight ahead of joining England’s Euro Squad next week.
And in a huge boost to Gareth Southgate and the Three Lions, Harry Maguire is fit enough for the bench.
Check out all the action with SunSport’s Live Blog HERE.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
