Europa League final highlights: Villarreal defeats Manchester United to win title

UEFA Europa League highlights: Here are the commentary updates from the 2020-21 UEL final between Manchester United and Villarreal at the PGE Arena Gdansk.

Updated : May 27, 2021 04:01 IST

Villarreal players celebrate their penalty shootout victory against Manchester United in the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League final in Gdansk.
Villarreal players celebrate their penalty shootout victory against Manchester United in the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League final in Gdansk.
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Villarreal players celebrate their penalty shootout victory against Manchester United in the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League final in Gdansk.

This is Sportstar's match blog of the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League final featuring Manchester United and Villarreal on Wednesday.

That's it for today. Thanks for tuning in!

MATCH REPORT |

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:

Villarreal has won the UEFA Europa League for the first time in its history following a 11-10 penalty shootout triumph over Man United, with the score tied a 1-1 after the final whistle.

The game went on for 120 long minutes and we weren't able to declare a champion even after the extra time. Eventually, Villarreal lifted trophy after 22 penalties in the shootout.

Gerard Moreno gave Unai Emery's Villarreal the 1-0 lead in the first half. However, Edinson Cavani equalised for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United in the second half.

VILLARREAL WINS THE 2020-21 UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE!!!

VILLARREAL 11 - 10 UNITED: David de Gea's penalty is saved by Rulli!

VILLARREAL 11 - 10 UNITED: Geronimo Rulli scores!

TIME FOR THE GOALKEEPERS TO TAKE PENALTIES NOW!

VILLARREAL 10 - 10 UNITED: Victor Lindelof scores!

VILLARREAL 10 - 9 UNITED: Pau Torres scores!

VILLARREAL 9 - 9 UNITED: Axel Tuanzebe scores!

VILLARREAL 9 - 8 UNITED: Mario Gaspar scores!

VILLARREAL 8 - 8 UNITED: The goalkeeper Rulli could have saved this, but Luke Shaw scores!

VILLARREAL 8 - 7 UNITED: Francis Coquelin scores!

VILLARREAL 7 - 7 UNITED: Daniel James scores!

VILLARREAL 7 - 6 UNITED: Raul Albiol scores!

VILLARREAL 6 - 6 UNITED: Fred scores!

VILLARREAL 6 - 5 UNITED: Moi Gomez scores!

SUDDEN DEATH TIME!

VILLARREAL 5 - 5 UNITED: Edinson Cavani scores!

VILLARREAL 5 - 4 UNITED: Dani Parejo scores!

VILLARREAL 4 - 4 UNITED: Marcus Rashford scores!

VILLARREAL 4 - 3 UNITED: Alberto Moreno scores!

VILLARREAL 3 - 3 UNITED: A replica of the previous penalty and Bruno Fernandes scores!

VILLARREAL 3 - 2 UNITED: Paco Alcacer scores despite David de Gea getting a hand to the ball!

VILLARREAL 2 - 2 UNITED: Alex Telles scores!

VILLARREAL 2 - 1 UNITED: Dani Raba scores!

VILLARREAL 1 - 1 UNITED: Juan Mata scores!

VILLARREAL 1 - 0 UNITED: Gerard Moreno scores!

VILLARREAL WILL TAKE THE FIRST KICK!!

AND 120 MINUTES ARE DONE, STILL NO WINNER! IT'S TIME FOR THE PENALTY SHOOTOUT!!!

SCORE: MANCHESTER UNITED 1 - 1 VILLARREAL!!

120' Three minutes of stoppage time has been added on! And Solskjaer will make his final two changes for Man United tonight. Scott McTominay and Aaron Wan-Bissaka have made way for Juan Mata and Alex Telles, respectively, in the middle.

116' DOUBLE SUBSTITUTION FOR MAN UNITED! Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has decided to bring on Daniel James and Axel Tuanzebe to replace Paul Pogba and Eric Bailly, respectively, on the field. Can the fresh legs make a difference now?

113' YELLOW CARD! Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay went to the ground after collision with a Villarreal forward but play continued. Edinson Cavani wasn't happy with the decision as he talked his way into a booking from the referee.

109' FREE-KICK FOR VILLARREAL! Dani Parejo takes this one as well. But his cross into the box goes straight into the hands of Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea. At the other end, Marcus Rashford goes down to the ground with an injury.

THE SECOND PERIOD OF EXTRA TIME IS UNDERWAY!

HALF-TIME IN EXTRA TIME! SCORE: MANCHESTER UNITED 1 - 1 VILLARREAL!!!

105' OFFSIDE! Just when a good Manchester United move was building up, Marcus Rashford is offside as he was receiving a pass across from Paul Pogba. This was a much needed break for Villarreal

102' SUBSTITUTION FOR MANCHESTER UNITED! Head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has decided to bring on midfielder Fred to replace forward Mason Greenwood on the field.

98' Villarreal has started the extra time as the better team. Dani Parejo's long balls have been menacing so far. Manchester United definitely needs some fresh legs now, at least in attack.

94' CHANCE FOR VILLARREAL! Alberto Moreno takes the ball forward on the left flank. He tries to find either Paco Alcacer or Gerard Moreno inside the box with his cross but Man United centre-back Eric Bailly makes the crucial clearance.

THE FIRST PERIOD OF EXTRA TIME BEGINS!

Thirty minutes of extra time to follow. Stay tuned!

AND 90 MINUTES ARE DONE! SCORE: MANCHESTER UNITED 1 - 1 VILLARREAL!!!

90' Three minutes of stoppage time has been added on at the end of the second half! Villarreal has a good chance after a free-kick. Mario Gaspar sets up Pau Torres inside the box but the Spanish defender fires his shot over the crossbar.

87' TWO MORE SUBSTITUTIONS FOR VILLARREAL! Alfonso Pedraza and Juan Foyth have made way for Alberto Moreno and Mario Gaspar in the middle. So, Villarreal has made five changes, while Man United hasn't done a single substitution.

84' YELLOW CARD! Villarreal full-back Juan Foyth fouled his Manchester United counterpart Luke Shaw to not only concede a free-kick but he also went into the referee's book. Bruno Fernandes' set-piece wasn't effective enough to give United the winner.

81' CORNER FOR MAN UNITED! Scott McTominay's brilliance earns his team a set-piece. Luke Shaw take this one as well. But his poor execution hands the possession back to Villarreal.

78' DOUBLE CHANGE FOR VILLARREAL! Unai Emery decides to make two substitutions at one go. He brings on Paco Alcacer and Moi Gomez to replace Yeremi Pino and Manuel Trigueros, respectively, on the field.

75' BACK-TO-BACK CORNERS FOR VILLARREAL! Yeremi Pino and Dani Parejo took the set-pieces from either side. But the Manchester United defence stayed solid and averted the danger.

72' WHAT A BLOCK! Luke Shaw sprints forward on the left flank. He dribbles past Etienne Capoue and sends the ball towards the middle, where his Manchester United teammate Edinson Cavani heads it on target. But Villarreal defender Pau Torres blocks the ball with a header of his own.

69' FREE-KICK FOR UNITED! Luke Shaw and Bruno Fernandes are both near the ball here. Eventually, the former sends a cross into the box. Villarreal goalkeeper Rulli comes off his line to collect the ball.

66' CHANCE FOR UNITED! Scott McTominay receives the ball in midfield, executes a perfect turn and runs towards goal. However, his through-ball attempt is thwarted by the Villarreal defence.

63' OFFSIDE! Marcus Rashford was a little too eager to get to a pass from his Manchester United teammate Bruno Fernandes and the linesman raises his flag. The referee awards Villarreal a free-kick.

59' SUBSTITUTION! Villarreal manager Unai Emery has decided to bring on midfielder Francis Coquelin to replace for Carlos Bacca on the field. Emery had a long chat with Coquelin before sending him in.

55' GOAAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!!!!! EDINSON CAVANI SCORES!!! MANCHESTER UNITED 1 - 1 VILLARREAL!!!!!! This was a Luke Shaw corner from the left. The ball wasn't cleared away properly by the Villarreal defence and it eventually fell to Cavani, who coolly slotted it past Rulli and equalised for United.

51' FOUL! Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani trips Dani Parejo from behind near the Villarreal box. The referee awards the La Liga club a free-kick. Solskjaer's side is pressing extremely high. It should be careful about the possible counter-attack.

48' FREE-KICK FOR VILLARREAL! And Manchester United was caught napping here. This was another brilliant set-piece routine from Emery's team. Etienne Capoue's delivery into the box was delightful. But Carlos Bacca wasn't able to find the back of the net.

THE SECOND HALF IS UNDERWAY!

Forty-five minutes to go. Stay tuned!

AND IT'S HALF-TIME! SCORE: MANCHESTER UNITED 0 - 1 VILLARREAL!!!

45' Two minutes of stoppage time has been added on at the end of the first half! Raul Albiol almost scored an own goal. Mason Greenwood came up with a brilliant cross from the right wing for Manchester United. It hit Albiol and almost went into his own net. However, Villarreal goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli made the crucial save.

41' Manchester United is attacking with numbers forward here but the Villarreal defence has been solid at the back. Both Edinson Cavani and Marcus Rashford had chances to equalise but they were easily dispossessed in the end.

37' CHANCE FOR UNITED! Aaron Wan-Bissaka tries to send a cross into the box from the right flank. But the ball is blocked. The rebound falls to Scott McTominay, whose shot results in a Villarreal goal-kick.

33' Manchester United manager Solskjaer is extremely animated on the sidelines. His team has started to panic. Villarreal has switched to a defensive mode. Looks like the team wants to see off the half with the 1-0 lead.

30' GOOOOOAAAAAALLLLL!!!!!!!!!! GERARD MORENO SCORESSSSS!!!! VILLARREAL 1 - 0 MANCHESTER UNITED!!!!!!!! This was a Dani Parejo free-kick. Victor Lindelof was Moreno's marker inside the box but the United defender let him pass. The Spanish striker kept his calm and found the back of the net.

27' CHANCE FOR VILLARREAL! Yeremi Pino receives the ball in midfield and sprints forward. He sees United goalkeeper David de Gea coming off his line and takes a shot from outside the box. But it doesn't hit the target.

24' The Manchester United full-backs -- Wan-Bissaka and Shaw -- are playing a high line today. Scott McTominay is staying deep to support his centre-backs. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants his side to keep attacking tonight.

21' WHAT A CHANCE FOR UNITED! Aaron Wan-Bissaka comes up with a wonderful cross from the right flank. Villarreal skipper Raul Albiol heads the ball away. But it falls to Luke Shaw on the other wing. However, Shaw's dangerous low cross goes out for a goal-kick.

18' CORNER FOR VILLARREAL! Yeremi Pino is on set-piece duty right now. He sends a cross into the middle. Manuel Trigueros gets to the ball but blazes it well over the bar with his shot.

15' Juan Foyth is fine to continue for Villarreal. Manchester United has dominated the possessional, passing and attacking stats in this final so far. But Unai Emery's side isn't far behind.

12' FREE-KICK FOR UNITED! Luke Shaw will take this one. He sends a cross into the box but the ball is cleared away by a header from Villarreal's Pau Torres. Bruno Fernandes gets to the rebound. But his pass to Pogba up front is ruled offside.

9' INJURY! Villarreal defender Juan Foyth is bleeding after a collision with Man United midfielder Paul Pogba. His team's medical staff rush into the field. Foyth is eventually taken to the sidelines for treatment.

6' CHANCE FOR UNITED! Edinson Cavani is picked out by Marcus Rashford with a great cross, but his poor control allows the Villarreal defence to clear the ball and avert the danger.

3' EARLY FREE-KICK FOR VILLARREAL! Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood brings down Villarreal's Alfonso Pedraza and the referee immediately blows his whistle. The La Liga club regains possession with the set-piece.

AND THE MATCH BEGINS!

The players come out into the field and it's time for the toss!

The team lineups are out!

MANCHESTER UNITED XI: David de Gea (G), Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly, Luke Shaw, Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes (C), Marcus Rashford, Edinson Cavani, Mason Greenwood.

COACH - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

VILLARREAL XI: Geronimo Rulli (G), Juan Foyth, Raul Albiol (C), Pau Torres, Alfonso Pedraza, Daniel Parejo, Etienne Capoue, Manuel Trigueros, Gerard Moreno, Carlos Bacca, Yeremi Pino.

COACH - Unai Emery.

MATCH PREVIEW:

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hopes that winning the Europa League would be the start of "something more" for the club.

United takes on Spanish side Villarreal in Wednesday's final in Gdansk, looking to win its first trophy since a Europa League success under Jose Mourinho in 2017.

Having finished second in the Premier League this term -- its highest finish in the Norwegian's three seasons in charge -- Solskjaer is aiming even higher as he looks to restore United to its former glories.

"These are big nights for us, it might be the stepping stone for something better to come. It is a bright future for this team, a young team, it's a team we've rebuilt over the last few years," Solskjaer told a news conference on Tuesday.

 

"Hopefully, this is the start of something more. When players sign to play for Man United, they sign to win trophies. They accept the challenge of being the best, because this is the best club in the world so that's the pleasure of the pressure of Man United."

Former manager Alex Ferguson, who won 13 Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues during his United tenure, travelled with the team to Poland.

Solskjaer is looking to lead United to glory 22 years to the day since his winner in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich completed an historic treble under Ferguson, and the Norwegian welcomed the presence of the club's most successful coach in Poland.

"He's a special man and he's like an encyclopedia of football, even though I got him on a quiz question yesterday," Solskjaer added.

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"One of the players got the answer before him, I’m sure he’s not happy at that. Just to have him around when we eat, if the players wonder about something they can ask him, he's always available for a chat because this is the club of his heart. I hope he enjoys tomorrow night because I owe most of my career to him and this club."

However, Solskjaer remained tight-lipped on captain Harry Maguire's fitness. The 28-year-old sustained ankle ligament damage at Aston Villa 16 days ago and was using crutches until last week.

"We've prepared well," Solskjaer said. "Anthony Martial didn't make it, Phil Jones of course didn't make it and Harry is just going to jog up and down the sideline (in training on Tuesday). He'll probably try to join in (training) a little."

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