Manchester United no doubt entered the first leg of their Champions League tie against Sevilla hoping to nick an away win or at least an away goal, but it soon became clear that this was not going to be that sort of game.
The home side dominated, and will feel that they should’ve come away with something better than a 0-0 draw, although United keeper David De Gea put in an excellent performance to keep Sevilla at bay.
Here’s a look at some of the winners and losers from Wednesday’s game.
WINNERS
Scott McTominay
Handed the responsibility of starting in a tough Champions League away game, McTominay looked the part. While Ander Herrera was forced off early with an injury and Nemanja Matic was unusually shaky at times, the youngster was composed on the ball and solid in midfield.
The 21-year-old had a pass accuracy rate of 91 per cent, topped by only three players on the pitch. He was strong in the air, as well, helping out his defence on multiple occasions.
McTominay also adjusted quickly to a change in position after Herrera’s injury, reverting to a more withdrawn role to accommodate Paul Pogba. On a night where his lack of experience could have been targeted, the Englishman instead showed he has the ability to play on this stage.
Scott McTominay held his own against the Sevilla midfield.
Ever Banega
There’s no doubting how influential the Argentinian is for Sevilla, but even by his standards, this was a special performance from Banega.
The 29-year-old ran the show for the home side, and he must wonder how his side failed to score in a game where he created chance after chance. 10 of them, actually, which is the record for a Champions League game this season. Sevilla wasted a masterclass from one of their best players.
Banega’s chances of an Argentina recall for the World Cup are remote, but more displays like this will improve his chances – especially if his strikers can put away the goalscoring opportunities he gives them.
Ever Banega was the best outfield player on the pitch.
LOSERS
Alexis Sanchez
This is the sort of match which prompted Sanchez‘s decision to move to United. He suffered through failure after failure in the Champions League round-of-16 with Arsenal, and the move was supposed to give him a fresh lease of life in the competition.
But in his first opportunity, Sanchez had no impact. He had zero touches in Sevilla’s penalty area in the first half, and was dispossessed more than any other player on the pitch.
It was also noticeable how Pogba improved the moment Sanchez went off the pitch. They need time to adjust to each other, but right now, Sanchez’s presence is making Pogba worse – and the Chilean isn’t making up for that with his own performances.
Sanchez didn’t have the sort of impact United needed.
Vincenzo Montella
This was only Montella’s second-ever match in the Champions League as a manager, and his inexperience showed.
There was the questionable decision to not start with top scorer Wissam Ben Yedder, choosing Luis Muriel as his starting striker instead. Montella compounded this by leaving Ben Yedder on the bench as the game unfolded, as he saw his attackers waste chance after chance.
But the most baffling aspect of Montella’s management was his refusal to turn to his bench at all, with his first substitution coming in the 85th minute. It was a missed opportunity, when a win was there for the taking.
Montella missed an opportunity to put Sevilla in the driver’s seat.
