Sevilla beat Manchester United 3-0 on the night to win 5-2 on aggregate and reach the Europa League semi-finals.
Sevilla’s victory was heavily aided by a dreadful defensive display from the visitors.
A Harry Maguire clanger gifted Sevilla their opening goal inside 10 minutes. Maguire called for the ball from goalkeeper David de Gea, received it with three Sevilla forwards around him and promptly lost possession – giving Youssef En-Nesyri a straightforward opportunity he did not waste.
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United would have been 2-0 down at the break were it not for a VAR review ruling out a Lucas Ocampos goal because of an offside in a move started by Casemiro losing possession meekly.
Fit-again Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw were introduced at the break, but the visitors went two goals behind almost immediately when, from a corner, Loic Bade’s shoulder sent the ball looping over De Gea and in off the bar.
United had no response as Sevilla managed the game well and conceded few chances of note, something Erik ten Hag’s team had failed to do when 2-0 up in the first leg.
The misery was completed in the 81st minute when a De Gea howler presented En-Nesyri with the ball and he scored into an empty net.
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“It’s clear, when we make such mistakes, it’s very difficult to win a football game,” said Ten Hag told.
“It’s obvious the atmosphere may have had an impact but it can’t be. The fans can expect that we can deal with it. I won’t say that’s an explanation for it.
“We were not composed, we were not calm. Once you beat the press there are huge spaces on the pitch but we didn’t do it at the start. It was so obvious how to do it.
Sevilla had more passion
“Bad decisions. And also we lose the battles. They had more passion, more desire, more willingness. For example the second goal. Then it’s difficult to win big football games.
“We showed on so many occasions good performances and good wins. But tonight and some occasions more, we were not ready for the game and it can’t be. When you’re at this level and playing for Man Utd you have to be ready for every game.
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“This is a great opportunity, a great occasion, a quarter-final in Europe to win something and then you give it away. We have to blame ourselves.”
This was the second time this season Man Utd had made two errors leading directly to an opposition goal in the same match, with the other occasion coming in the 4-0 defeat to Brentford at the start of the season.
Ten Hag – who has also seen his team lose 6-3 in a Manchester derby and 7-0 to rivals Liverpool this season – admitted there is an issue within his team with individual mistakes.
“It’s a problem,” he said. “We can’t run away from it. But on Sunday [in the FA Cup semi-final with Brighton] we have another opportunity to work on that. We have to step up and show more character, personality.
“It’s not about the players who are missing. It’s about the players who are on the pitch. They have to perform. I believe in them, trust them and they have to show. Today we were not good enough.”
When asked about De Gea’s long-term future as Man Utd’s No1 goalkeeper following the performance, Ten Hag backed the Spaniard in his post-match press conference.
“He’s the one with the most clean sheets in the Premier League, so that shows he’s a very capable goalkeeper,” said the Man Utd head coach.
For a sixth successive season, Manchester United have been eliminated from a European knockout tie by Spanish opposition – with three of those coming against Sevilla (2017-18, 2019-20 & 2022-23).
