Manchester United have secured qualification to the next round of the Europa League but they will have to wait to find out whether they will enter the round of 32 or 16.
Erik ten Hag’s men will make the trip to Real Sociedad next week, with only a victory ensuring they finish the group as leaders and thus qualify immediately for the round of 16.
The victory over FC Sheriff on Thursday set up next week’s finale and one man impressed more than any other – Alejandro Garnacho.
The young winger was surprisingly named in the starting line-up and it’s safe to say that he left a positive impression on Ten Hag, fearlessly attacking down the left-hand side.
United’s most dangerous attacks in the first 60 minutes came through Garnacho and he will now be in good standing to start once again in Spain next week. In addition to being easy on the eye, Garnacho’s impressive performance was also backed up by stats.
According to StatmanDave, Garnacho had as many as 65 touches on the ball, which indicates that his team-mates did not think twice about passing it to a teenager. Quite the contrary, they were looking for him. Such was his dominance on that flank.
Garnacho also had a 91% passing accuracy. At first glance, you might assume that he was mostly trying safe passes but more often than not, he was looking for the killer ball.
The 18-year-old also won 7 ground duels – exactly the type of stuff Ten Hag wants from his attacking players. He also completed three dribbles in the game and registered one key pass.
Jadon Sancho, who has been a near-permanent fixture in the side this season, is enduring a difficult run at the moment and Garnacho could seriously be knocking on the door of a regular starting role now.
