Manchester United draws with Real Sociedad away from home to remain unbeaten in the Europa League

On March 7, in the first round of the 2024-25 Europa League quarter -finals , Manchester United challenged the La Liga powerhouse Real Sociedad away. After 90 minutes of fierce battle, the two sides finally shook hands and made peace 1-1 , laying the groundwork for the second round. In this game, Manchester United scored first with Zirkzee's goal, but Real Sociedad equalized the score with Oyarzabal's penalty kick. Despite failing to win, Manchester United remains unbeaten in this season's Europa League .

At the beginning of the game, Manchester United showed a strong offensive intention, especially in the counterattack, which caused a lot of trouble for Real Sociedad. In the 12th minute, Ganacho dribbled the ball from the left into the penalty area and shot decisively, but it was firmly confiscated by Real Sociedad goalkeeper Remiro. Real Sociedad then quickly adjusted. In the 18th minute, Trents dribbled the ball from the midfield to the front of Manchester United's penalty area and shot, but unfortunately he failed to hit the target.

As the game progressed, Manchester United gradually took control of the situation and created many scoring opportunities in the first half. In the 37th minute, Dalot's cross accurately found Bruno Fernandes, who shot but was blocked by the Real Sociedad defender. Then, Zirkzee's two consecutive shots failed to break through the defense. One was blocked by the defender and the other was slightly off the post. In the 42nd minute, Dalot received a pass from his teammate and headed the ball, but Remiro played bravely and successfully saved the ball. Although Manchester United was active on the offensive end, Real Sociedad's defense remained solid, and the two sides maintained a 0-0 score at the end of the half.

At the start of the second half, Manchester United took the lead. In the 51st minute, Zirkzee launched an attack. He passed the ball to Dogu, who then passed it to the back post. Ganachon followed up with a shot, but unfortunately the ball just brushed the side net and flew out. Manchester United continued to exert pressure on the offensive end and finally scored in the 57th minute. Casemiro launched an attack in the midfield. Dalot received the ball and quickly passed it to Ganachon. Ganachon dribbled forward and sent a precise cross pass. Zirkzee followed up smartly and shot low to help Manchester United take a 1-0 lead.

However, Manchester United's lead did not last long. In the 67th minute, Real Sociedad got a corner kick. Japanese star Kubo Takefusa took the penalty. Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes committed a handball foul in the penalty area. After VAR confirmation, the referee decisively awarded a penalty kick. In the 70th minute, Oyarzabal took the penalty kick. He calmly pushed the ball into the lower left corner of the goal. Although Onana judged the correct direction, he failed to prevent the ball from entering the net. Real Sociedad tied the score 1-1.

In the final stage of the game, both sides still maintained an offensive posture, trying to rewrite the score again. In the 77th minute, Real Sociedad player Blaise Mendes took a long shot outside the penalty area without being marked. The ball was powerful, but Manchester United goalkeeper Onana reacted quickly and flew to save the ball. In the injury time, Real Sociedad almost completed the lore. In the 90+4th minute, Oscarsson shot from a small angle in the penalty area, and Onana made another key save to ensure that Manchester United took away a draw away from home.

Although they failed to win, Manchester United got a crucial draw away from home and continued their unbeaten record in the Europa League this season. The second leg of the two sides will be held a week later, when Manchester United will return to their home ground to face Real Sociedad for a place in the quarterfinals. For Ten Hag's team, playing at home is undoubtedly an advantage, but Real Sociedad also showed strong competitiveness. If Manchester United wants to advance, they still need to find a more efficient solution on the offensive end.