Match of The Round
Athletic Bilbao (5) 2 - 1 (3)
Let me first say this: I am a die hard Manchester United supporter. Through thick and thin I have always supported the Red Devils and will continue to as long as they are around. Today, however, I watched my squad get thoroughly picked a part by a Athletic Bilbao side that deserved to win.
The feeling I was left with when the final whistle blew this afternoon was one I had felt months earlier when United were knocked out of the Champions League group stages, as Cinderella club FC Basel pulled off the unthinkable. However, the clock finally struck 12 for Basel as they were dismantled 7 - 0 by Bayern Munich in the Round of 16.
First Half
United entered the match after a 3-1 defeat in the first leg, which made their trip to Spain an extremely tall task. The first half started promising as Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney each saw chances, but the visitors were unable to convert on both occasions. Bilbao on the other hand did not fail to grasp their chances in the final third, as talisman Fernando Llorente smashed a thunder-volley past David De Gea in the 23th minute. While the rest of the first-half was controlled by United, the scattered chances where smothered by the home side's on point defensive efforts.
Second Half
The second half was all Bilbao. Time after time they were in position to extend their lead, with the first a chance that feel to left-back Iraola. After collecting a pass at the top of the box, he wiggled his way past three defenders and narrowly missed wide with what would have been the Goal of the Year.
With the match already in favor of the Spanish side, the fixture was put out of reach when a strike by Oscar De Marcos deflected off Johnny Evans and flew past De Gea into the back of the net. In response, Alex Ferguson brought on 18-year-old starlet Paul Pogba and shortly thereafter England international duo Danny Welbeck and Chris Smalling. Although Wayne Rooney did tally a fire-bolt strike in the 79th minute, the chance and the introduce of the trio could not produce enough for a comeback.
Round of 16 Results
Hannover 96 (6) 4 - 0 (2) Standard Liege
Valencia (5) 1 - 1 (3) PSV Enindhoven
AZ Alkmaar (3) 2 - 1 (2) Udinese
Athletico Madrid (6) 3 - 0 (1) Besiktas
Schalke 04 (4) 4 - 1 (2) FC Twente
Sporting Lisbon (3) 2 - 3 (3) Manchester City
- Sporting advance on away goals.
FC Metalist Kharkiv (2) 2 - 1 (2) Olympiakos
- Metalist advance on away goals.
Comments
Post a Comment