Oyzarzabal penalty pegs back United as Sociedad keep tie finely poised
BASQUE BOOST: Real Sociedad's Mikel Oyarzabal celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game from a penalty as Manchester United's Matthijs de Ligt (right) stands dejected during the UEFA Europa League Round of 16, first leg match at the Reale Arena in San Sebastian, Spain. Pic: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire.
A chance for a spot in the quarter-finals of the Europa League is still all to play for in Manchester next week following Real Sociedad’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United.
In a match that ultimately proved devoid of chances and quality, Joshua Zirkzee put the visitors ahead before Mikel Oyzarzabal fired home from the spot to give Real Sociedad a fighting chance at Old Trafford next Thursday.
The early moments of the contest saw the referee’s whistle have more action than the encounter itself, with both sides feeling each other out and showcasing an unwillingness to take too many risks early on in the tie. The opening 30 minutes confirmed the tie was to be one of an end-to-end nature, with both hosts and visitors often finding themselves in potentially dangerous positions following counter-attacking moves.
Indeed, while both Sociedad and United had found themselves in these potentially dangerous positions, any sense of a final product had seemingly neglected both hosts and visitors.
Erratic would be an apt term to describe the opening period of the encounter; neither side were able to settle into a period of dominance on the ball, with both outfits seeming to prefer a misplaced pass to an opponent than a completed one to a teammate.
It seemed as though captain Bruno Fernandes would surely be the one to break the deadlock with an uncontested strike just outside the six yard box in the 36th minute, but a timely block on the line and an impressive reactionary stop from Álex Remiro on the follow-up kept the tie at a stalemate and saw the game return to its erratic end-to-end nature.
A penalty shout followed for Sociedad, whose will to attack and advance the ball was seemingly reignited from almost conceding. No spot-kick followed and the half-time whistle blew momentarily after bringing an end to an opening period ultimately bereft of quality and class from both hosts and visitors.
The beginning of the second half brought more of the same from both sides, who within the first few minutes of the period had each found themselves in dangerous positions, but ultimately yielded the same result as they had in the opening period; nothing. But nothing lasts forever, and the deadlock was broken minutes before the hour courtesy of Zirkzee.
Following a fast-break which left the Sociedad defence wide open, the Dutchman found himself unmarked at the edge of the box, and fired a first-time strike past the flat-footed Remiro to give Ruben Amorim’s side a one-goal advantage in the tie.
In the wake of yet another chaotic end-to-end period after Zirkzee’s goal, the 70th minute brought Real Sociedad’s turn to deal a blow of their own to the visitors, as a penalty was given to the hosts following a VAR check on a handball from Bruno Fernandes inside the box.
Oyarzabal stepped up to the spot and fired his penalty into the side netting, undoing all of United’s hard work and sending the Reale Arena into euphoria. The hosts took the momentum of the equaliser in their stride, undoubtedly seeming the more likely to take the lead and take command of the tie in the closing 20 minutes.
A low cross was fired into the box by substitute Sheraldo Becker in the 83rd minute which was met by Icelandic striker Orri Oskarsson at close range, only to be fired inches wide of the post.
United’s defensive substitutions soon after hinted that Amorim was more than happy to bring the tie back to Old Trafford at one-goal apiece, with all to play for in Manchester next Thursday.
Remiro 7 , Elustondo 5 (Aramburu 63) , Aguerd 6 , Zubeldia 6 , Muñoz 5 , Sučić 6 (Imizcoz 88), Turrientes 6 (Marín 63), Méndez 6 , Kubo 8 (Becker 81), Oyarzabal 8 , Barrenetxea 6 (Oskarsson 63)
Onana 7 , Mazraoui 6 , de Ligt 6 , Yoro 6 (Lindelof 88) , Dalot 6 , Casemiro 6 , Fernandes 7, Dorgu 6, Zirkzee 7 (Collyer 88), Højlund 6, Garnacho 5 (Eriksen 78)
Ivan Kružliak 7
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