Manchester United clashed heads with Villarreal at Gdansk Stadium earlier tonight as they looked to pick up a win and lift their first silverware of the season. Villarreal broke the deadlock around the 29-minute-mark as Gerard Moreno headed the ball past David de Gea to put his side in the lead. Edinson Cavani bagged the equaliser for United around the 55-minute-mark, but it ultimately came down to penalties. After a total of 21 successful penalties from both sides, David de Gea managed to miss the 22nd penalty, giving Villarreal their first major European trophy.
Let’s take a look at how each Manchester United player fared during the match against Villarreal.
David De Gea – 2/10
The Spanish shot-stopper didn’t have too much to do throughout the game, but he let his team down with the last kick of the ball. Am I being harsh with a rating of 2/10? Maybe.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka – 6.5/10
The English defender timed his tackles to perfection and hardly let the Villarreal attackers create menace down the left-wing.
Victor Lindelof – 2/10
Awful and pathetic defending from the Swedish centre-back. For a defender who is expected to keep everything in order at the heart of United’s defence, Lindelof is simply not fit for the job. He had no clue on how he should position himself and struggled to win the ball back in the simplest of challenges.
Eric Bailly – 5/10
The Ivorian international made some crucial clearances, tackles throughout the game and even covered for Lindelof when required.
Luke Shaw – 7/10
The English full-back was a constant threat down the left flank as he kept creating chances for the frontmen time and again. He delivered some great crosses into the box that should have been converted with ease. His defensive work rate was top notch as well.
Scott McTominay – 7/10
The Scottish midfielder was arguably United’s best player on the pitch tonight. He performed his defensive duties exceptionally well at the centre of the park and wasn’t afraid of moving up with the ball. Perhaps, one of those players who deserved to go home with the winner’s medal around his neck.
Paul Pogba – 6/10
The Frenchman’s overall ball distribution was decent as he could change the channel of play frequently with little to no effort, but he lacked the creative intent in the opposition half.
Mason Greenwood – 3/10
The 19-year-old struggled throughout the ninety minutes to get as much as a glimpse of the ball. As a result, he hardly had any influence on the game and was not even a part of the scene on most occasions.
Bruno Fernandes– 6.5/10
The Portuguese playmaker had a decent game as he managed to set up a few chances for his teammates over the course of the game, but he was awful in the final third.
Marcus Rashford – 2/10
Misplaced passes, failed recoveries, and missed sitters. In a nutshell, the England international dropped a complete disaster class tonight. He gave away the possession on several occasions, that too in the final third. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should have replaced him with Daniel James early in the second half.
Edinson Cavani – 7/10
The Uruguayan striker bagged the equaliser for United, but his frustration piled up exponentially as the game went on. He took up some dangerous positions, but none of his teammates could time a simple through-ball to set him free on goal.
SUBSTITUTES:
Fred – 6/10
Added much-needed solidity to United’s midfield.
Daniel James – 6/10
The Welshman didn’t really have much to offer.
