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      Arteta knew Arsenal star Aubameyang would shine vs Benfica after MISSING penalty in training before Europa League clash

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      PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG convinced Mikel Arteta that he would score against Benfica after MISSING a penalty in training.
      The Arsenal boss has revealed his happiness at how club captain Aubameyang, 31, reacted to the pre-game shock.

      Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang led Arsenal to victory over Benfica on ThursdayCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Mikel Arteta revealed one training ground incident that gave him hope for the strikerCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Speaking after the 3-2 win in Athens, which saw the striker score twice, Arteta detailed the positive mentality he had shown.
      The 38-year-old told reporters: “Sometimes when you go through difficult moments, you can have those difficult moments and get into a sad mode and I think that’s the worst thing you can do.
      “Because nobody has to feel sorry for themselves when you’re having those moments.
      “What you have to do is get upset, get angry, work harder and approach the situation and face it.

      “Face the challenge in a way that creates more motivation and more hunger to do it and I think in recent weeks I’ve seen that reaction.
      “For example, in a training session before we played here, he missed a penalty and he was really upset.
      “Instead of being sad he got upset and I said to the coaching staff that I like that and that he would be fine tomorrow.
      “When you have that mentality, I think that’s the right way to approach it.”

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      Arsenal strike late to save their season against Benfica!Saka and Aubameyang combine AGAIN when it matters most to put the Gunners ahead! 🤝 pic.twitter.com/e9aazd58lR
      — Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 25, 2021

      Aubameyang has endured a mixed campaign, recently scoring a hat-trick past Leeds before suffering a poor night in front of goal in the Europa League tie’s first leg.
      But he made amends with two vital strikes on Thursday night, delicately chipping home a Bukayo Saka pass early on.
      Another Saka ball was finished by Aubameyang’s header after 86 minutes to snatch the victory.
      The striker will get another chance to exorcise his demons in the last-16 as Arsenal have been drawn against Olympiacos.
      The Greek side knocked the Gunners out last season, with Aubameyang guilty of a poor miss in the dying moments.
      But Arteta is confident that his star forward is set to continue his good form, starting with Sunday’s trip to Leicester.

      The Arsenal manager stated: “He is getting into much better positions, his rhythm during the games is much better with and without the ball, his movement.
      “The week before when we played Benfica, he had three big chances and I am not worried about him missing them because I know if he gets in those positions, he is going to be scoring consistently.
      “So this is what he has to demand of himself. If we have Auba at his best, as a team we obviously have a much better chance to be successful.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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      Man Utd handed tough AC Milan draw in Europa League knockouts while Arsenal land Olympiacos who beat them last season

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      MANCHESTER United were handed a titanic clash with AC Milan in the highlight of the Europa League last 16 round.
      In a draw in Nyon that kept all four British survivors apart, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men will be reunited with former team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

      Arsenal, who pulled off the mother of all comebacks against Benfica on Thursday night, face an immediate return to Piraeus after being handed a revenge mission with Olympiacos.
      The Greek side eliminated Mikel Arteta’s Gunners with their last-gasp goal at the Emirates in the Round of 32, 12 months ago.
      Across North London, Spurs were drawn to play their first leg away to Croatians Dinamo Zagreb.
      But with Uefa rules banning matches taking place in the same city on the same night, it is possible that the tie will be switched making Jose Mourinho’s men play at home in the first leg.

      Uefa will confirm the dates later but unless Spurs’ game is pulled forward 24 hours to prevent a clash, as it was in the last round against Wolfsberger, Arsenal’s higher Uefa coefficient would ensure they play the second leg at home.
      Steven Gerrard’s Rangers, fresh from their remarkable 9-5 win over Antwerp, were paired with Leicester’s conquerors Slavia Prague.
      The first-leg of the Round of 16 will commence on March 11 with the return fixture seven days later.
      United’s tie with the San Siro giants will rekindle memories of huge meetings in the Champions League, although the bulk have gone in favour of the Italian side.

      Zlatan Ibrahimovic will reunite his ex-team-mates at Old TraffordCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Olympiacos dumped Arsenal out of the Europa League last seasonCredit: Alamy Live News

      Jose Mourinho will back his chances of progressing into the quarter-finalsCredit: AP:Associated Press
      Sir Alex Ferguson’s United crushed Milan in their last meetings in 2010, with Wayne Rooney scoring twice in both legs as the Old Trafford side won 7-2 on aggregate.
      But a Rooney supershow in the semi-final first leg in 2007 was not enough as a Kaka-inspired Milan won 3-0 at home to go through 5-3.
      Milan also went through in the other previous meetings, the last 16 Champions League clash in 2005, dethroning holders United in the 1969 European Cup semi-finals by the odd goal in three and also at the last four stage in 1958, weeks after the Munich air disaster.
      Swedish superstar Zlatan, now 39, scored 29 goals in 53 appearances in his two seasons at United despiute a seven month injury absence.
      Arsenal have a score to settle with the Greeks following that upset last term.
      The Gunners won the away leg and were ahead on aggregate through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s goal seven minutes from the end of extra-time before going out on the away goals rule when Yossef El-Arabi netted seconds from the final whistle.
      Spurs have only met Zagreb once before, with Darren Bent scoring a hat-trick in a 4-0 win in the Europa League group phase in 2008.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      Solskjaer reacts to draw with Real Sociedad as Man Utd seal their place in the final 16 of the Europa League More

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      Europa League knockout draw simulated as Man Utd get Rangers in last-16 while Arsenal and Tottenham get tough ties

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      A SIMULATED draw for the Europa League last-16 produced the tantalising prospect of Manchester United facing Rangers.
      Who knows what could unfold at 12pm on Friday when the teams are drawn for real in Uefa’s Swiss headquarters.

      Manchester United are Europa League favourites after comfortably beating Real SociedadCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Steven Gerrard’s Rangers were drawn with the Red Devils in our simulated drawCredit: EPA

      Unlike the previous round, there are no seedings and teams from the same country will not be kept apart.
      English football is represented by Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham following Leicester’s elimination, with Rangers the sole Scottish club left.
      A simulated draw concocted by SunSport produced the fascinating prospect of Steven Gerrard taking on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
      SPFL leaders Rangers smashed NINE goals past Antwerp in the last round and promise to be one of the most entertaining teams to watch next month.

      Meanwhile, the pressure will be on United as the tournament favourites.
      Jose Mourinho is another man expected to do well in this competition and Spurs drew Dinamo Zagreb in our simulation.
      The Croatians knocked out Krasnodar 4-2 on aggregate and sit top of their domestic league.
      The parallel draw also threw out Arsenal versus Young Boys, who shocked Bayer Leverkusen in the last-32.

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      The full SunSport simulation of the last-16 draw

      A manic 4-3 first leg in Switzerland, which saw Leverkusen fight back from three down before conceding a late winner, was followed by a 2-0 win for Young Boys last night.
      Gerardo Seoane’s side are romping to a fourth-straight Swiss Super League title and should not be underestimated by any opponent.
      A number of interesting ties were also produced by the simulation, including Shakhtar Donetsk versus AC Milan and Olympiakos against Villarreal.
      Fans can eagerly await the draw for real at midday, with ties to be played on March 11 and 18.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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      Shola Shoretire, 17, becomes Man Utd youngest player EVER in Europe as FIVE academy kids finish draw with Sociedad

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      TWINKLE-TOED history-maker Shola Shoretire proved Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes Manchester United can’t win anything without kids.
      Shoretire, 17 came on to become United’s youngest EVER player in Europe as FIVE academy products finished the 0-0 draw with Real Sociedad.

      Shola Shoretire is United’s seventh-youngest player ever and now no-one younger has played for the Red Devils in a European gameCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      United’s 4-0 first-leg win set up the aggregate cruise into the Europa League last 16.
      And it gave boss Solskjaer the chance to dip into the future as he bids for silverware in the present.
      United brought on Brandon Williams, Marcus Rashford, Axel Tuanzebe and frontman Shoretire – with fellow youth product Dean Henderson already in goal.
      In fact, as Shoretire replaced another academy starlet in Mason Greenwood, it meant United fielded a super six home-grown talents over the whole game.

      And with Shoretire having made his United debut just four days earlier, Solskjaer was in the mood for Sho-gloating after the starlet’s cameo against the Spaniards.
      The Norwegian said: “Shola has got some skills, he’s going to make a very good player here.
      “It’s a platform tonight, just 15 minutes but it’s something to remember for him at Old Trafford.
      “Maybe he would’ve enjoyed it more with fans because they give you so much energy. But I’m sure all the fans will see him soon.”

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      Solskjaer also suggested the United squad is perfectly-equipped to integrate such youngsters.
      He said: “We are a group that are very tight together. You come in, your work every day, you have a few setbacks and knocks. 
      “We want to go further but when you have failed before you want to do better. 
      “The culture is really improving and we’ve got some fantastic players and fantastic coaches.”
      Shoretire had become United’s seventh-youngest player ever when he stepped on for Rashford in the final couple of minutes in United’s 3-1 defeat of his home-town club Newcastle on Sunday.
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      Indeed, in the Premier League era only Angel Gomes has been younger.
      Shoretire also wore the highest shirt number ever for a United player in a competitive match – 74.
      Age might just be a number when it comes to ability, but numbers are far more than players’ ages when it comes to modern tops.

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      Leicester 0 Slavia Prague 2 LIVE REACTION: Provod and Sima net in second half to send Foxes crashing out of Europe

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      LEICESTER are out of the Europa League after a home defeat to Czech side Slavia Prague.
      Final score: Leicester 0-2 Slavia Prague (0-2 on aggregate)
      Follow ALL the reaction with our live blog below…

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      THAT’S ALL FOR TONIGHT!
      Slavia Prague are through to the last 16 of the Europa League after beating Leicester City 2-0 at the King Power Stadium.
      Second half goals from Lukas Provod and Abdallah Sima were enough to seal victory for the Czech side.
      The draw for for the last 16 will take place on Friday 26th February at midday.
      Join us on SunSport for more live blogs over the weekend.
      Goodnight!

      PROVOD ON HIS GOAL

      REACTION FROM JAN BORIL
      “It is something beautiful, extraordinary. Some people did not believe us but we stuck together and managed to score two goals here. We are really proud of this achievement.”

      REACTION FROM KUDELA
      “We are very glad that we have managed to eliminate such a strong team. We did not allow them any big chances over the whole tie. It is a success of our teamwork.
      “We believed that in the second half we would get into a position where we had to win 1-0. In the end we celebrate a 2-0 win.”

      REACTION FROM PROVOD
      The Slavia midfielder told Czech TV:
      (about his goal) “I received a marvellous pass from Nico Stanciu, I could not do anything else other than score. I would have torn my hair out had I missed it. All credit must go to Nico for the goal.”
      “We have defeated a very strong team playing at the top of the Premier League. There is a fantastic euphoria right now. It was a hard match, but we never stopped believing that we would score a goal.”

      MORE FROM RODGERS
      “We’re disappointed to be out, but we know that tonight we weren’t good enough and if you’re not good enough at this level you get punished.
      “Before tonight we were in three competitions and we wanted to give it our all, we know where our priorities are, now we’ve got two competitions and we’re all in now and we’ll do our very, very best.
      “It’s disappointing to lose, always is but tonight we just lacked that intensity in our game and a bit of quality and they deserved to go through, so good luck to Slavia in the next round.”

      REACTION FROM RODGERS
      The Leicester boss told BT Sport:
      “We lost to the better team, I take responsibility for the teams that I’ve picked, and I felt I selected a team that could win the game.
      “But over the two legs we didn’t create enough, that’s the reality and we didn’t defend with any intensity and we gave away two disappointing goals, so overall I think the best team won and we just have to get ready for the weekend.”
      “They play that man marking style so you have to be patient in your game, we got into some good areas but just lacked quality when we arrived.
      “We started the game pretty well , first 10-15 minutes we were controlling the game and exploited some spaces behind their line but we just didn’t have enough quality.”

      CRUCIAL STRIKE FROM PROVOD

      DISAPPOINTING NIGHT FOR RODGERS

      SLAVIA INTO THE LAST 16

      SIMA SEALED IT

      PROVOD GAVE SLAVIA THE LEAD

      SLAVIA PRAGUE HEAT MAP

      LEICESTER HEAT MAP

      AVERAGE POSITIONS OF BOTH SIDES

      FULL TIME

      PEEEEEEEEP!!!!!!!
      FULL TIME
      LEICESTER 0-2 SLAVIA PRAGUE

      LEICESTER 0-2 SLAVIA PRAGUE
      90. Four minutes of added time.

      LEICESTER 0-2 SLAVIA PRAGUE
      86. Slavia seeing out the game, Leicester are still huffing and puffing but its all too easy for the away side to defend.
      Slavia still looking lively on the break.

      LEICESTER 0-2 SLAVIA PRAGUE
      83. Leicester still trying to come forward but they’ve lacked a cutting edge all night.
      Slavia looking like their going to see this out comfortably.

      LEICESTER 0-2 SLAVIA PRAGUE
      79. Olayinka picks up the ball just outside the Foxes box, he picks out Sima, the winger takes a touch drives forward and fires in with his right foot from 20 yards!
      Surely that’s Slavia through!!!!!!!

      GOAL!!!!!!!!!! SLAVIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

      LEICESTER 0-1 SLAVIA PRAGUE
      75. Leicester are dominating play but simply don’t look threatening.
      Its been all too easy for Slavia defensively tonight.

      LEICESTER 0-1 SLAVIA PRAGUE
      72. Leicester just starting to lose their way, Slavia looking increasingly comfortable.
      The home side are running out of time.

      LEICESTER 0-1 SLAVIA PRAGUE
      67. It’s all Leicester now, the changes have really made a difference and they’re very much on the font foot.
      Slavia still looking relatively comfortable in their defensive shape.

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      Man Utd 0 Real Sociedad 0 LIVE REACTION: Tuanzebe denied winner by VAR as Red Devils through to Europa League last-16

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      MANCHESTER UNITED are through to the last-16 following a comfortable aggregate win over Real Sociedad.
      Final score: Man Utd 0-0 Real Sociedad (4-0 on aggregate)
      Follow ALL the reaction with our live blog below…

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      THAT’S ALL FOR TONIGHT
      Man Utd got the job done to seal their place in the final 16 of the Europa League.
      and they’ll be joined by Arsenal, Tottenham and Rangers.
      Unfortunately for Leicester City, they crashed out with a 0-2 loss at the hands of Slavia Prague with West Ham duo Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal giving their former team advice on how to beat the Foxes.
      Join me bright and early tomorrow for the Europa League draw, with coverage starting here at SunSport from 10.30AM.
      Goodnight!

      MATCH REPORT
      IT WAS NOT quite the occasion Marcus Rashford would have hoped for to celebrate the fifth anniversary of his famous debut.
      This time there was no crowd, the tie had been won and he had no goals to show for it.
      Read More: Man Utd 0-0 Real Sociedad Match Report

      SOLSKJAER SPEAKS
      Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer spoke to BT Sport after the game: “You remember defeats more than wins. Especially semi-finals.
      “We’ve had three of them, so this group feels hurt, and wants to go further. We are a group that’s very tight.
      “We’ve had a few setbacks and knocks, but it lifts us, we want to go further. If you fail in three semis, you want to do better and improve.
      “It’s exciting. It’s a group of players that will improve because we’re still a young team.”

      AROUND THE GROUNDS
      All the matches for the Europa League round of 32 have been played, here’s a reminder of the results and who will be in tomorrow’s draw!
      Tottenham (8) 4-0 (1) Wolfsberg
      Ajax (4) 2-1 (2) Lille
      Napoli (2) 2-1 (3) Granada
      Shakhtar Donetsk (3) 1-0 (0) Tel-Aviv
      Rangers (9) 5-2 (5) Royal Antwerp
      Arsenal (4) 3-2 (3) Benfica
      Hoffenheim (3) 0-2 (5) Molde
      Villarreal (4) 2-1 (1) Salzburg
      Leicester City (0) 0-2 (2) Slavia Prague
      AC Milan (3) 1-1 (3) Red Star – Milan go through on away goals
      Club Brugge (1) 0-1 (2) Dynamo Kyiv
      Man Utd (4) 0-0 (0) Real Sociedad
      Roma (5) 3-1 (1) Braga
      Bayer Leverkusen (3) 0-2 (6) Young Boys
      Dinamo Zagreb (4) 1-0 (2) Krasnodar
      PSV (4) 2-1 (5) Olympiacos

      FULL-TIME STATS
      Plenty of shots…. plenty of touches inside the opposition penalty area… but no goals.

      FT: MAN UTD (4) 0-0 (0) REAL SOCIEDAD
      Man Utd thought they took the lead halfway through the second half after Tuanzebe rose highest to plant the corner home.
      However, in the build-up, Lindelof left a Real Sociedad player in a heap on the floor.
      The referee went across to the VAR monitor and ruled the goal out and booked Lindelof for dangerous play.
      The rest of the half was rather lifeless, both sides knew their fate in the competition and neither side had the desire to grab a goal.
      If Oyarzabal buried that first half penalty, what a game it COULD have been.

      PEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
      THE FULL-TIME WHISTLE GOES AT OLD TRAFFORD!
      Man Utd ARE THROUGH TO THE LAST 16!

      MAN UTD (4) 0-0 (0) REAL SOCIEDAD
      90+3. Bautista flicks the ball out wide to Martin, and the Sociedad player swiftly whips the ball into the penalty area.
      But Henderson rushes out to gather the cross.

      MAN UTD (4) 0-0 (0) REAL SOCIEDAD
      90+2. Man Utd are knocking the ball about trying to see out the remaining two minutes.

      MAN UTD (4) 0-0 (0) REAL SOCIEDAD
      90. Four added minutes at the end of the second half…… the last ten minutes or so has been painful to watch to say the least.
      Maybe we will see a goal! Well, probably not.

      MAN UTD (4) 0-0 (0) REAL SOCIEDAD
      88. Real Sociedad are passing the ball around with no real intent, they know the game is lost.

      MAN UTD (4) 0-0 (0) REAL SOCIEDAD
      85. Not much to report on, both sides are exchanging possession and neither side are really going for goal.
      The games current state suits Man Utd, they’re in no rush to add to their goal tally or concede.

      MAN UTD (4) 0-0 (0) REAL SOCIEDAD
      83. Man Utd are cruising towards tomorrow’s Europa League draw, which will include Arsenal and Rangers.
      Leicester are currently losing 2-0 to Slavia Prague at the King Power stadium, so as it stands, they’ll be out of the competition.

      MAN UTD (4) 0-0 (0) REAL SOCIEDAD
      80. The game is starting to get slow, both teams know their fate and there’s no real intent to score a goal.
      Oyazabal’s early penalty miss set the tone for Real Sociedad tonight – it was all downhill from there.

      The Referee reviewed Tuanzebe’s goal on the VAR monitor and ruled the goal out

      Lindelof was then booked for a challenge in the build-up to the goalCredit: Getty Images

      MAN UTD (4) 0-0 (0) REAL SOCIEDAD
      78. Real Sociedad are enjoying a decent spell of possession inside Man Utd’s half, but it’s all too late!
      Just over ten minutes left in the game and the Spanish side are still four goal down.
      A comeback looks very unlikely.

      MAN UTD (4) 0-0 (0) REAL SOCIEDAD
      75. SUBSTITUTION!
      Shoretire comes on for Man Utd replacing No11 Greenwood! 15 minutes left in the game, 4-0 up, why not!

      MAN UTD (4) 0-0 (0) REAL SOCIEDAD
      74. 17-year-old Shoretire is being given instructions on the sidelines by Solskjaer, he’ll be on shortly!

      MAN UTD (4) 0-0 (0) REAL SOCIEDAD
      72. Bautista manages to win his side a free-kick deep inside Man Utd’s half, giving his side a chance to get up the pitch.
      The free-kick is taken short down the line and the ball is whipped into the penalty area.
      Bautista rises highest to meet it, but his effort deflects behind for a corner.

      MAN UTD (4) 0-0 (0) REAL SOCIEDAD
      71. SUBSTITUTION!
      Guridi is on for Guevara.

      MAN UTD (4) 0-0 (0) REAL SOCIEDAD
      70. SUBSTITUTION!
      Man Utd academy graduate Januzaj makes way for Real Sociedad, and he is replaced by Bautista.

      MAN UTD (4) 0-0 (0) REAL SOCIEDAD
      68. It remains goalless with 68 minutes played and just over 20 left.

      Tuanzebe celebrates his goal before it was chalked off by VARCredit: Getty Images

      MAN UTD (4) 0-0 (0) REAL SOCIEDAD
      66. CHANCE!
      Martial drives towards the edge of Real Sociedad’s penalty area, taking on Sagnan.
      The Frenchman cuts inside onto his favoured right foot and strikes towards goal, but Remiro saves with his finger tips!
      The referee gives a goal-kick when it should in fact be a Man Utd corner.

      MAN UTD (4) 0-0 (0) REAL SOCIEDAD
      65. Williams is walking a tight-rope as he commits yet another foul down the right-hand side.
      He has to be very careful, one more and he’s off!

      MAN UTD (4) 0-0 (0) REAL SOCIEDAD
      64. NO GOAL & YELLOW CARD!
      The goal is ruled out for a foul by Lindelof, and the defender is booked as a result.
      Upon review, it wasn’t a great challenge but it wasn’t deliberate.
      Massive shame for Tuanzebe, that would have been his first senior goal for Man Utd!

      MAN UTD (5) 1-0 (0) REAL SOCIEDAD
      62. Tuanzebe rises highest to plant the corner into the back of the net! VAR will check for a potential foul by Lindelof.
      The referee has been instructed to go over to the monitor – Lindelof, as he went up for the ball, appears to strike a Sociedad player in the face with his leg.

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      Man Utd verdict: Bailly dominates Sociedad with pace and power and must start for United vs Man City and Chelsea

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      ERIC BAILLY should be in the starting line-up for the key matches against Chelsea and Manchester City in the next 10 days.
      That’s if he’s fit enough, of course. And as Manchester United fans know that’s a very big ‘if’.

      Man Utd centre-back Eric Bailly rose to the challenge and now just needs to keep fitCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Eric Bailly shone at the heart of the home side’s defence as he stood in for skipper Harry Maguire in the 0-0 draw with Real SociedadCredit: AFP or licensors

      Man Utd defender Victor Lindelof is shadowed by Sociedad’s Alexander Isak as he adapted to playing with new central defensive partner Eric BaillyCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

      This was only the 12th start of the campaign for the Ivorian defender, 26, who just does not seem able to stay off the Carrington treatment table.
      In fact he has started just 85 games in four-and-a-half years at Old Trafford – which is a pretty poor return.
      Yet when he can string a run of games together, Bailly makes a big difference.

      Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will remember how outstanding he was when United won a key game at Stamford Bridge in February last year.

      And he may need something similar this time against a team who have been rejuvenated by Thomas Tuchel.
      It was no co-incidence that Bailly was playing almost every game for a month either side of Christmas when United went to the top of the table.
      He got injured again late last month but has reminded everyone of his quality in the two Europa League games against a Sociedad side who are enjoying a decent season in Spain.
      Many believed Imanol Alguacil’s men would cause the Red Devils some problems but over two legs they were kept at arms length for both legs by Bailly and Co.  

      A lot of United fans would feel much happier going into the forth-coming games against two of their rivals with Bailly in the side.
      Here he partnered Victor Lindelof – allowing skipper Harry Maguire to have a breather on the bench.

      Eric Bailly marshals Alexander Isak as Man Utd keep a clean sheet in their 4-0 aggregate winCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      But while neither has been perfect in recent weeks, it is the Swede who is most likely to make way for Bailly.
      He was bullied too often by West Brom forwards Mbaye Diagne and Matheus Pereira in the bitterly disappointing draw earlier this month.
      Against a Spanish side containing several former Premier League players. Bailly demonstrated the pace and power which has sometimes been missing at United recently.  
      There was a moment in the first half where he showed his class by giving Alexander Isak a head start but still coming away with the ball.
      He ensured that Dean Henderson had a quiet night – apart from watching a first half penalty sail over the bar.
      It was 85 minutes until the England hopeful had his first shot to save on what was a largely uneventful second leg.
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      Bruno Fernandes and Anthony Martial are at the centre of United’s attacking hopesCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      In an interview that was published on Thursday morning, Bailly revealed how he just loves defending – what annoys him the most is conceding goals.
      He was also asked whether he rated Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo more – and gave his answer as…. Sergio Ramos, who ironically has been linked with a move to United this summer.
      The challenge for Bailly is to stay clear of injuries, stay in the team and show Solskjaer he does not need the Real Madrid legend.

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      Man Utd player ratings: Anthony Martial improves in leading the line but Fred’s clumsy yellow saw him hooked

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      MANCHESTER UNITED eased through their Europa League last 32 tie against Real Sociedad with the goalless draw they needed after their 4-0 demolition job in the first leg.
      An uneventful game for the viewer but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will not mind as he was able to rest stars with a view to Sunday’s huge clash against Chelsea.

      Anthony Martial (top) was much more lively against Sociedad than in previous weeksCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Eric Bailly did his chances of a regular first-team role no harmCredit: AFP or licensors
      The main source of joy for United fans will have been the amount of exciting young stars they caught a glimpse of in the second half – with Amad Diallo and Shola Shoretire getting precious minutes.
      Here’s SunSport’s ratings on a routine night at an empty Old Trafford.
      Dean Henderson – 6/10
      Had nothing to do – but was vocal in organising his defence from the outset and did his prospects of taking the No 1 jersey from David de Gea no harm.

      Aaron Wan-Bissaka – 6

      Solid as ever from the right-back, who kept Sociedad at bay in the first half. Solskjaer urged him to press forward before bringing him off at half-time for youngster Brandon Williams.
      Eric Bailly – 7
      Added to his cause to be brought into United’s starting line-up on a regular basis with a solid display, snuffing out multiple Sociedad chances.
      Victor Lindelof – 7
      Has been pilloried by pundits in recent weeks who claim United need a new centre half but put in a solid display here, getting a crucial touch to deflect an Oyarzabal ball and deny a certain goal in the first half.
      Blotted his copybook by getting booked for an acrobatic foul on Jon Bautista which saw a goal ruled out for Axel Tuanzebe.

      Alex Telles – 6
      Quiet on an evening where he was largely untroubled by Sociedad attacks, but delivered a peach of a corner for the disallowed goal.
      Nemanja Matic – 6
      Another day at the office for the steady Serb in a game where United were always going to enjoy the lion’s share of possession.
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      Mason Greenwood – 5
      Was uncharacteristically quiet in the first half on the right-hand side but livened up after the break and went close with a couple of strikes. Made way for fellow teenager Shoretire on 75 minutes.

      Bruno Fernandes – 7
      At his creative best in the first half, at the core of anything good United did – as he so often is. Was unlucky hitting the bar with a brilliant strike and played another superb ball only for James to head at the keeper.
      Was subbed off at half-time to keep him fresh for the huge clash with Chelsea on Sunday.
      Dan James – 5
      Clumsily gave away a penalty just 13 minutes in and was thanking his lucky stars after Mikel Oyarzabal skied the resulting spot-kick.
      He improved after that, however, and was more impressive going forward, using his pace to trouble the Sociedad defence with constant pressing. Was subbed off with an injury on the hour mark.

      Lindelof was booked for the foul that saw Tuanzebe’s goal disallowedCredit: Getty Images
      Fred – 4
      He was booked for a clumsy foul on ex-United man Adnan Januzaj and Solskjaer subbed him at half time to avoid a repeat.
      Anthony Martial – 7
      Has had his form and commitment come under the microscope in recent weeks but looked more dangerous tonight – his movement troubled Sociedad all match and he tested the keeper with a couple of ferocious shots. Faded disappointingly after the break, however.
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      Marcus Rashford – 6
      Ended up an elder statesman in the line-up that finished the game, having orchestrated a few United attacks after his introduction at half time.
      Axel Tuanzebe – 8
      Was cruelly denied his first senior goal after VAR ruled out his header thanks to Lindelof’s foul. Played well in an unfamiliar central midfield role.
      Brandon Williams – 5
      Replaced Wan-Bissaka at the interval but was lucky to escape a second yellow.
      Amad Diallo – 7
      A confident display after he came on on the hour mark.
      Shola Shoretire – 7
      Broke Norman Whiteside’s record as United’s youngest player in European competition and didn’t put a foot wrong in his 15 minutes.
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