Manchester United’s Europa League campaign is off to the worst possible start after they lost their opening game at Old Trafford following a string of questionable decisions by the referee.
Real Sociedad claimed all three points in Manchester after converting a penalty in the second half but there are question marks over whether the referee, and the VAR team, should have overturned the on-pitch decision.
David Silva’s strike deflected off of Lisandro Martinez’s leg and onto his arm, which should not result in a penalty.
United failed in a late attempt to get back into the game, with La Real keeping possession for long spells to see out the 90 minutes.
Man United Player Ratings
David de Gea – 6
Barely had anything to do all game.
Diogo Dalot – 6
Withdrawn at half-time, possibly with a view to this weekend’s fixture. It’s still unclear whether that will go ahead.
Victor Lindelof – 5
Like most of United’s defenders, they had barely anything to do. Switched to right-back at half-time.
Harry Maguire – 5
His presence wasn’t that noticeable due to the nature of the game. Better than previous games.
Tyrell Malacia – 5
An injury to Shaw meant Malacia kept his place.
Casemiro – 5
Adds a calming influence to the team but you can tell he’s still getting used to his surroundings and a new system.
Christian Eriksen – 7
United’s best player again. Withdrawn at half-time and that’s understandable considering the workload.
Antony – 7
Definitely an improvement on the performance against Arsenal even if he didn’t score this time.
Fred – 4
Used in a more advanced role and badly struggled in the first half. Improved after the break in his usual defensive role. Ability on the ball left a lot to be desired.
Anthony Elanga – 5
Didn’t take on his full-back enough but was often isolated.
Cristiano Ronaldo – 4
Should have scored at least one goal. Body language was poor again.
Substitutions
Lisandro Martinez – 8
United’s best player this season and it’s not even close. Another fantastic performance. The penalty decision against him was ludicrous.
Bruno Fernandes – 5
Looked lively at first but as the game went on and Real Sociedad started dominating again, his influence wained.
Garnacho, Sancho, McNeill – N/A
