To give the home team the lead, Youssef En-Nesyri scored his 50th goal for Sevilla. image: GETTY IMAGES.
After just eight minutes, Sevilla took the lead thanks to a goal from Youssef En-Nesyri, who took advantage of an error by Harry Maguire.
The Spanish team extended their lead with a looping header from Loic Bade, and En-Nesyri capitalized on another mistake, this time from goalkeeper David de Gea, to secure the victory.
Manchester United’s performance was lackluster, and they exited the competition without putting up much of a fight.
This loss comes ahead of several critical games for United, including an FA Cup semi-final against Brighton on Sunday and a crucial Premier League match against Tottenham on 27 April. The defeat was a significant setback for United’s season.
Sevilla, on the other hand, passed this test with flying colors and will face Juventus in a two-legged semi-final on 11 and 18 May. Juventus secured their spot after beating Sporting 2-1 on aggregate in the quarter-final.
Maguire’s error is the start of United’s nightmare
United’s captain Harry Maguire had already gifted Sevilla an own goal in the first leg, and in this match, he was once again at fault for their opening goal.
When De Gea passed to him near the edge of the area, Maguire was put under pressure by three Sevilla players.
However, he played a careless pass off Erik Lamela, who was standing just two yards in front of him, and the ball rebounded to En-Nesyri, who scored past De Gea.
The goal set the tone for the first half, as the deafening crowd at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium spurred on Sevilla, while United struggled to create any meaningful chances.
Despite their struggles in La Liga this season, Sevilla looked like a completely different team under Jose Luis Mendilibar, their third permanent manager of the campaign. T
hey showed confidence with a stunning rabona cross from Nemanja Gudelj after half an hour, and Luis Ocampos almost doubled their lead with a fine finish from the edge of the area before the goal was ruled out for a narrow offside decision against Marcos Acuna, after a lengthy VAR review.
Sevilla advances to the final four as a raucous crowd cheers
United’s attack lacked firepower in the absence of suspended Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford, who started on the bench due to a groin injury. Anthony Martial, who spent part of last season on loan at Sevilla, started up front but was forced off due to an injury in the second half.
Rashford was sent on at half-time to replace Jadon Sancho, but before he could even touch the ball, United found themselves two goals down.
Sevilla’s second goal came from a corner that bounced off Bade’s shoulder and looped over De Gea, hitting the crossbar before going in.
It was a night to forget for United, as Casemiro struggled with possession and the injuries to Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane left the defense vulnerable.
The final blow came late in the game when De Gea rushed out of his goal to clear a long ball, but he sliced his attempted half-volley, leaving En-Nesyri with an open goal to slot the ball into.
Sevilla have now progressed to the semifinals of the Europa League for the seventh time, having won all six previous times they reached this stage.
To give the home team the lead, Youssef En-Nesyri scored his 50th goal for Sevilla. image: GETTY IMAGES.