BEVERLY HILLS, March 19, (THEWILL) – In the reverse fixture of their UEFA Europa League last 16 tie, one often-maligned player for English Premier League side Manchester United came in as a substitute to make all the difference as the Red Devils squared off against the Italian Serie A side AC Milan on Thursday at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Milan.
Paul Pogba, who was marking his debut match on his return from an injury layoff, netted the only goal that helped Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side scale past Milan to reach the Europa League quarter-finals, with replacement keeper Dean Henderson turning up a Man-of-the-Match performance to keep the likes of veteran Swede striker and substitute Zlatan Ibrahimovic from scoring.
In the first leg last week, Simon Kjaer’s stoppage-time header handed Milan a vital away goal in the contest that gave Stefano Pioli’s men a healthy dose of confidence coming into the Milan fixture. And, it was a result the Rossoneri fully deserved with their performance at the Theatre of Dreams in Old Trafford, Manchester.
However, their hopes of progressing beyond the final 16 this year got an ominous forewarning when they lost by a lone goal to Serie A side Napoli on home soil in the domestic competition, a loss that sounded the death knell on their pursuit of the League title. All Pioli contrived to ensure that his team was focused on progressing from the slim margins left in the race for silverware in the Europa failed to stop it from being a bad five days for the club.
Solskjaer picked his team up from their late disappointment to continue their push for second place in the Premier League. The Red Devils needed a score-win to keep their Europa League hopes alive and, though they were not at their most sublime, the introduction of Pogba was an inspired injection into the play and with the excellence of Henderson, still standing in for first-choice keeper David De Gea, United were able to overcome the Rossoneri on the road.
Their 1-0 win secured Solskjaer’s charges a 2-1 aggregate triumph in the double-tie. The decisive Pogba goal came three minutes after he had come off the bench in Marcus Rashford’s place. The midfielder picked his spot from a tight angle in the left inside channel to bury the ball in the net. Milan’s hero this season, Ibrahimovic, had his side’s best opening, but Henderson denied the veteran forward a moment of magic.
Therefore, while United held out at the end to secure their spot in the last eight of the competition, Milan’s slump continues. The current dip in form means Pioli’s squad have now won just twice in their last 10 outings, during which they have gone out of two cup competitions and slipped off the pace in the Serie A title race in monumental fashion.
In stark contrast to that, the Red Devils are into their 14th match now unbeaten in all competitions. Although the prospect of catching neighbours and EPL champions-in-waiting Manchester City in the Premier League is nigh-on impossible, they are looking to Europe, along with the FA Cup, for an opportunity to claim some silverware this season to further strengthen Solskjaer’s position amid continued improvement in Old Trafford.
Pogba’s goal may be the story as it directly helped in securing qualification for the last-eight draw, which takes place on Friday, but United’s defensive line also deserves great praise and especially Henderson in goal. Notable mentions also include Victor Lindelof, who produced two crucial blocks to keep the hosts at bay, and centre-back partner Harry Maguire, who was excellent also. The pair finished with five clearances apiece, as well as making five interceptions.
