Key events
FULL TIME: Manchester United (5) 4-1 (2) Real Sociedad
A terrific performance from United, who were good even before the red card. Over the two legs they were by far the better side and fully deserve to progress; they meet Lyon in the last eight.
90+4 min I cannot remember the last time I saw a United team look like they were enjoying themselves.
90+2 min “Not only are fancy-dans Arbroath arrogant with their coldest ground claim,” says David Birtles, “they’re also wrong: Buxton FCs Silverlands stadium is at 1000ft the highest in the UK and the most unforgiving. I’m known as the Buxton Wet Boy having been shown on TV FREEZING in our FA Cup tie against Morecambe on BBC1, and I find it frankly insulting.”
I can’t argue with that, but I think we need the footage.
GOAL! Manchester United (5) 4-1 (2) Real Sociedad (Dalot 90+1)
Hojlund and Dorgu try and tee each other up but can’t find a shooting lane, so Hojlund skirts around the outside, here comes another cut-back … and Dalot roofs his finish. This, for the first time, is the football Ruben Amorim wants to see.
90 min We’ll have four additional minutes.
89 min Aguerd is booked for a foul.
89 min Change for United, Eriksen on for Zirkzee, who’s been really good.
GOAL! Manchester United (4) 3-1 (2) Real Sociedad (Fernandes 87)
Goodness me, what a player he is. Dalot picks up a loose bit of control from Oskarsson and swings it forward for Garnacho at inside-right, who holds on waiting for Fernandes on the outside, sliding him in with decent weight. And though he might square to give Hojlund a tap-in, he decides to make sure, nailing a low shot across Remiro for his hat-trick. He’s been brilliant tonight and for the last couple of months; United are going through to face Lyon in the last eight.
NO PENALTY!
And no hat-trick of penalties for Fernandes. Traore curled his foot around the ball and we see Dorgu telling the ref is wasn’t a foul. The game remains alive.
85 min VAR takes a look…
PENALTY TO UNITED!
84 min Ball down the line from Garnacho to Dorgu, Traore slides in – I think it’s a good challenge but the ref says foul.
81 min Nice from Heaven, moving it upfield and finding zirkzee on the left. The ball makes its way to garnacho, who lays back for Fernandes – Amorim loves a cut-back – and he plays a gorgeous disguised pass that has Robbie Savage purring. Zirkzee shoots, Remiro tips away, and United sustain the attack! This is not a misprint! Mazraoui retrieves possession down the right, the spare centre-back attacking, he beats two men, the second with a meg, lofts to the far post, and Zirkzee heads back across, Hojlund just unable to tuck home. Excellent passage from United.
8o min Sociedad pump a free-kick into the box, Heaven clears, then again, and Traore shoots, the deflected effort almost finding Oskarsson; he replaced Kubo a few minutes ago, presumably when my daughter disturbed me.
80 min Change for Sociedad, Traore replacing Elustondo.
78 min Change for United: off goes Casemiro, who’s played better than he has since perhaps the 2023 League Cup final; on comes Collyer.
77 min More Unirted possession but with a purpose, and Fernandes ends the sequence with a dipping shot that’s straight at Remiro.
75 min United win a corner, Barrenetxea complains, and he’s booked.
73 min In November 2014, I was on Spurs v Everton, and i was absolutely shocked by what I saw: it was only 2-1 but Spurs were incredible that afternoon, far too physical and aggressive for Everton, and though I didn’t know it at the time, it was the first time they played as Mauricio Pochettino wanted them to. This hasn’t been quite as stark as that, but this is the first time we’ve seen united do what Amorim wants, I think.
71 min Lovely form Bruno, sliding a cunning ball between two defenders and in behind for Dorgu, whose cross is blocked behind; the corner yields another.
70 min Hojlund out to Garnacho, who cuts back; a defender gets a touch, Hojlund picks up, and shoots … but hits another defender, though I think the ball was going wide.
69 min Dorgu wriggles away from Elustondo, who yanks him back by the waist and is booked.
68 min “Gayfield,” says Simon McMahon, “home of Arbroath FC, is often cited as the coldest ground in Scotland, backing as it does on to the North Sea, from where actual spray can reach the terraces and combine with ice cold wind, rain and haar to provide a unique ‘experience’. Makes most other grounds in the UK resemble Madrid in high summer.”
Take me there now. And haar, I’ve learnt a new word.
67 min Dorgu has been very good tonight – he’s exactly the, er, profile of player needed for the position, a one-man flank who can cover up and down, win balls in the air, win tackles, and attack. It’s early days, of course, but he looks a very good fit.
66 min Now Garnacho gets away, and he’s got men in the box but should shoot; he cuts back for Dorgu, whose shot form the edge is blocked.
65 min Fernandes chips in the free-kick, it’s headed away, and De Ligt hammers over the bar.
64 min VAR wants a look, but upholds the call, then Oyarzabal is booked for whinging.
RED CARD FOR ARAMBURU!
63 min Nice from Hojlund, who holds up then sets back for Zirkzee, who plays a lovely ball in behind for Dorgu, who bursts on to it and he’s in! Aguerd might get across, but I’d not back him, so when Aramburu, who only came on eight minutes ago, hauls him down, it’s not surprise to see the ref reach for his top pocket. A goal up and a man up, how will United manage to united this up?
62 min At Spurs, AZ have scored to level the tie at 2-2 on aggregate.
61 min And look at Dalot doing his best, hoping to shepherd a ball into touch only to be caught by Barrenetxea, whose cross is blocked behind by Casemiro. He’s played well tonight.
61 min Sociedad have lost their way here, but they needn’t worry – I’m sure United will find a way of gifting them a goal soon enough.
59 min “Coldest I’ve felt was at Oldham Athletic v Newcastle United in the Check-a-Trade in November 2017. The chairman handed out free hot pies to the 50-odd away fans in a very kind gesture. I held mine for at least 25 minutes to keep my hands warm.”
That makes a lot of sense: the pies at Old Trafford can scald your tongue clean out.
58 min Hojlund’s off-the-ball work, by the way, has been very good tonight – passes are missing him by fractions and, as I speak, a lovely disguised flick around the corner from Zirkzee sets Hojlund at Zubimendi, now at centre-back. It’s a mismatch really and the striker muscles past on the outside, then looks to scud a low shot towards the near post … but it’s just wide.
56 min Excellent from, Garnacho, who reads Remiro’s pass to Aguerd, slides in, intercepts superbly … and picks out the keeper with his attempted tee-up of Hojlund.
55 min Tripe change for Sociedad: off go Zubeldia, becker and Marin, on come Turrientes, Brrenetxea and Aramburu.
54 min Patrucxk Dorgu is a player. A long ball from Heaven for Dorgu, who easily shucks off Elustodo, but with Fernandes beseeching him for the pull-back, he instead goes square for Hojlund and Remiro dives to intercept.
53 min “Inter-Chievo, 15th of December 2001,” reckons Warren O’Toole.” Inter frontline of Vieri, Recoba, and the Real Ronaldo, just back from injury. Minus ten degrees, couldn’t take off your gloves without your hands seizing up.And yet, the chant-caller in the San Siro had no top on, presumably keeping the cold out with chemical assistance! Inter lost 2-1, Vieri had an open goal when they were drawing and tried to tee up Ronaldo as a crowd-pleaser, but he duly dinked it wide. As some consolation, I met a young Adriano on the streets of Milan the day after, with his Dad, a jolly old guy with a huge gold medallion.”
52 min Zubimendi is booked for something, but it’s not clear what.
51 min Back to Spurs, Scott Murray has all the latest developments.
GOAL! Manchester United (3) 2-1 (2) Real Socidedad
Of course he can! Again, he waits, but he doesn’t jump, instead rolling right once the keeper moves left.
49 min VAR wants a look: did Dorgu run into Elustondo on purpose? I think the defender didn’t quite stand his ground, he moved forward, so I think this decision will stand … and indeed it does. Can Fernandes hold his nerve again?
ANOTHER PENALTY TO UNITED!
48 min First, Hojlund lays back to Zirkzee, whose shot is saved, then Dorgu shoves it past Elustondo and the two collide; the ref has a look, allows play to continue, then points to the spot.
47 min Spurs now lead AZ 2-0 on the night and 2-1 on aggregate BUT EXCUSE ME WHILE I INTERRUPT MYSELF!
46 min Lovely footwork from Zirkzee in centrefield, and it may be that the 11th best team in his level, or it may be that actually, last season’s second-top scorer in Serie A and Dutch international can actually play a bit and just needed a bit of time to settle.
46 min We go again. More of the same, please, boys.
“Cold? Cold?” asks Keiron Reay. “It was December, probably ’85 or ‘86. The journey to watch Exeter City at Burnley was life-threatening due to the blizzard. Stood there for the two hours in the vast, icy concrete of the Burnley stadium.
The snow kept on piling up and up, eventually reaching halfway up my shins. Nearly couldn’t move at the final whistle.”
I take so much pleasure in the players being cold. I’m a terrible person.
