Man Utd 1-2 Sevilla LIVE reaction: Jose Mourinho explains Champions League exit

Manchester United suffered a shock exit in the Champions League last 16 with a 2-1 loss to Sevilla after substitute Wissam Ben Yedder struck twice at Old Trafford.

The Spaniards moved into the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time after Ben Yedder scored with a sharp turn and sweet shot past David De Gea in the 74th minute.

Four minutes later Ben Yedder doubled Sevilla’s advantage with a header at the back post which the crossed the line after hitting the underside of the bar despite De Gea’s efforts.

Romelu Lukaku pulled one back for Jose Mourinho’s side in the 84th but there was to be no comeback for United, who drew 0-0 in the first leg, and the visitors could have added more.

Sevilla have never reached the Champions League quarter-finals but did make the European Cup quarter-finals in 1958.

JOSE SPEAKS…

22:05: Not quite sure what to make of that.

“That’s football, that’s life and we have another match on Saturday. No time for dramas.”

Full quotes on the way.

WAITING…

22:00: Still waiting to hear from Jose Mourinho folks. I’ll bring his quotes the second they land.

In the meantime, here’s what Paul Scholes thought of tonight’s performance.

“He likes to play on the counter attack and use his pace,” Scholes said of Mourinho.

“It was very difficult watching that, it was difficult watching the first game. There’s no desire, no energy, no speed about the team. I can’t explain it, it’s unexplainable. It will be interesting to hear what the manager says.

“You go back to the first game, the modern games now is teams go to places and try to score goals. United went there and didn’t even try to win the game or try to score a goal.”

TWITTER ROUND-UP

Yasmin: Jose Mourinho should be tried in a criminal court for his tactics. He has the players to clean the floor with this Seville side but decided to play negative.

Craig: All the talk of having potentially five English teams in the last 8 and now it looks like it will be two. Is that good enough?

Jamie: Frank De Boer would of won that game.

I’m sure Frank is sitting in a quiet corner of Amsterdam with a grin on his face…

‘TERRIBLE’

21:50: “Terrible,” Rio Ferdinand said on BT Sport.

“I didn’t see this result or this performance coming, especially after the result at the weekend against Liverpool, the way in which they played.

“I thought they would have brought confidence to this game. They looked like a team thrown together, full of strangers. They played with nerves, they just went out there and played nervous and cautious from the beginning.

“In these games you’ve got to go and take the game by the scruff of the neck. That takes personalities, takes characters to go and do that. In this stadium you’ve got to give these fans something to chant about. This stadium tonight was quiet and that’s down to the players.”

WHO’S THROUGH?

21:45: Edin Dzeko’s goal was enough to see Roma through to the quarter-final stages. It was 2-2 on aggregate but the away goals rule means Shakhtar Donetsk are out.

So our final eight consists of; Roma, Sevilla, Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester City, Liverpool.

Bayern Munich are basically through, which leaves Chelsea and Barcelona fighting for the final spot tomorrow evening.

Not quite the Premier League European revival it was looking like a few weeks ago. Five becomes two…

TWITTER ROUND-UP

Adam: As a Liverpool fan I can’t help but be puzzled at how Man Utd got it perfect at the weekend and so badly tonight. Surely they’d rather have the results the other way around! Amazed Sevilla didn’t start with Ben Yedder, we know him all too well.

Adams: It’s a little to late to play defensively for 70 mins, then expect two substitutions to make a difference and get 3 goals.

Chris: Starting Matic AND Fellaini showed our intentions from the off. Embarrassing. Not sure why all the pundits were so optimistic.

RIO REACTS

21:43: Rio Ferdinand’s instant reaction is that Manchester United look like a bunch of players.

He defends the quiet crowd by saying that the side didn’t give them anything to shout about for the entire evening.

Paul Scholes adds that there was no passion or desire from anyone on the field.

Gerrard says Mourinho’s team didn’t turn up for him tonight, and none of United’s best players turned up.

HISTORY

21:40: No wonder the Sevilla fans are loving life. This is their first European win on English soil.

MANCHESTER UNITED 1-2 SEVILLA

FT: Calamity for Jose Mourinho and Manchester United. They’ve been abysmal this evening and allowed a quite average Sevilla side to dump them out of the Champions League.

The Sevilla players are all hugging and shouting while the United players shake their heads and look forlorn.

Full reaction and Jose Mourinho’s interview coming up.

93: I tell you what, all the other quarter-finalists are going to want to draw Sevilla.

91: Sarabia picks up a yellow card for time-wasting, which in itself wasted time.

Ben Yedder is sent clean through and has so much time to complete his hat-trick but passes it straight back to De Gea. Awful.

FOUR MINUTES ADDED TIME

89: Visitors running the clock down in frustrating fashion. Correa off, Geis on. Any momentum United had has now been lost by these crafty lot.

88: Sevilla make their second change as Vazquez makes way for Pizarro. Took about 900 years to leave the pitch, obviously.

87: Was that a backpass? Kjaer knocks it back to Rico but the referee thought it was an a genuine block.

Rashford manages to generate some decent power to nod a cross inches wide of the post.

MANCHESTER UNITED 1-2 SEVILLA – LUKAKU

85: Surely not?

Romelu Lukaku has reduced the deficit after slamming home from close range. Sevilla failed to clear the corner and the Belgian did the rest.

Six minutes plus stoppage time to score twice…

MANCHESTER UNITED 0-2 SEVILLA

83: Lenglet nods inches wide from a corner. Manchester United have completely lost it now.

82: Nearly an eight-minute hat-trick for Wissam Ben Yedder. He arrives late in the penalty area and De Gea does very well to keep him out.

79: That could have made things interesting. Chris Smalling has a free shot at the back post but completely misses the ball.

MANCHESTER UNITED 0-2 SEVILLA – BEN YEDDER

76: Has it gone over the line? Yes.

Manchester United are about to exit the Champions League as Wissam Ben Yedder nets his second in the space of five minutes.

A routine corner is swung in from the left and the substitute squeezes the header beyond De Gea, who desperately tries to claw it back from behind the line.

MANCHESTER UNITED 0-1 SEVILLA – BEN YEDDER

73: Substitute Wissam Ben Yedder, who’s only been on the field for two minutes, has made the breakthrough and leaves Manchester United starring down the barrel.

Banega feeds Sarabia, who then finds Ben Yedder in the box. He gets away from Bailly before sending a clinical finish past David de Gea.

The hosts need two goals in 16 minutes.

71: Ben Yedder is on! He’s going to provide a bit more sharpness. Not that it’ll be difficult to beat Muriel’s performance tonight.

70: United are so sloppy in possession as the fans begin to whistle and boo. Banega and Vazquez link up nicely before the latter’s volley is gathered by De Gea.

68: We’ve got 17 minutes plus stoppage time to spare us extra time.

67: Danger. United have a free-kick within shooting range. Rashford standing over it… terrible. Didn’t know whether to shoot or cross, in the end he did neither.

66: Sevilla fancy this. They are breaking forward and getting in good positions. The only problem is they lack a quality striker. Why isn’t top scorer Ben Yedder on the pitch?! I’ve still not heard an answer to that.

67: Rashford and Alexis have swapped flanks to try and make something happen. The youngster fancies a run at makeshift right-back Mercado.

64: Brave defending from Lenglet as Lukaku looks to hook a half-volley towards goal. The corner is sent in but it barely beats the first man. In fact, it didn’t beat the first man.

61: Cometh the hour, cometh Paul Pogba. He’s on for Marouane Fellaini. I’ll pause while Manchester United fans across the country cheer…

60: Suddenly it’s end-to-end stuff! Lukaku spins his marker before firing low at Rico.

Muriel charges up the other end of the field and very nearly diverts a cross from the right goalwards. Bailly did well to get his body in the way.

57: Edin Dzeko has given Roma the lead against Shakhtar Donetsk. It’s now 2-2 on aggregate and Roma have the away goal.

55: OK, this is getting better now. Correa, who’s been Sevilla’s best player by a mile, dances into the area before tamely sliding a shot wide.

Early signs that we’re going to have some goals tonight. We’ve waited bloody long enough!

54: Alexis Sanchez wins a free-kick in the middle of the park, as he draws an over-zealous challenge from N’Zonzi. Young’s set-piece is easily cleared.

So close! Lingard draws a really nice save from Rico. The winger’s first touch took him a little too wide.

51: Bailly to the rescue! Sevilla sliced Manchester United wide open there.

Fellaini completely loses Correa and lazily trundles back while the attacker receives the ball in acres of space inside the penalty area.

Bailly flies over and dispossesses him as he’s pulling the trigger to save the day.

48: Sevilla have won five of their last penalty shootouts in Europe. I think they’d take a 0-0 to force extra time.

45: Jose Mourinho has resisted the urge to throw Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial into the mix. We’re back underway with no changes.

If things continue like this then please send help. I can’t watch another 45 minutes of that.

ROMA 0-0 SHAKHTAR DONETSK

HT: It’s goalless in Rome too folks. As things stand, Shakhtar Donetsk are heading through to the quarter-finals. 1-2 on aggregate.

TWITTER ROUND-UP

Lee: Amazing how we are playing this game so poorly. Biggest game of the season and were risking going out with such a negative approach. Depressing.

Chana: Both team treating this as it’s a pre-season friendly instead of the chance to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Embarrassing.

Adam: How can Jose Mourinho get it so right one day, then so so so wrong the next? Genuinely baffled by his selection and tactics tonight.

TURGID

HT: Manchester United have mustered just two shots on target in 135 minutes against Sevilla in this tie so far (Sevilla have attempted nine).

And one of those was a Marouane Fellaini special…

MANCHESTER UNITED 0-0 SEVILLA

HT: And thus ends a very forgettable 45 minutes of Champions League football. Neither side have taken the initiative or look like making the breakthrough.

A clear sign of the quality of this game was that there was zero minutes of added time.

45: Much better. Lingard gets in behind the Sevilla defence but doesn’t see Lukaku in acres of space in the middle. Sevilla clear the resulting corner.

43: Some cracking defending from Sevilla to block efforts from Lingard, Fellaini and Sanchez. Interesting to see what United can do when they let the handbrake off.

40: Save! Fellaini fresh from his appearance in GQ (let’s not go there again) plays a one-two with Sanchez before seeing his shot saved.

38: Do you think these sides are confused about how to approach this game? Perhaps the 0-0 scoreline has left them both ultra cautious.

Steve McManaman’s advice? “Go and score two. Smash them to pieces.” Thanks, Macca…

36: A lovely ball from Lingard to pick out Fellaini at the back stick, but the Belgian’s downward header can’t find a team-mate.

33: Yes Marcus! The youngster tries to take the game by the scruff of the neck by running at defenders. It didn’t work from him this time, but that lifted the crowd.

30: Muriel must have missed about 15 chances over the two legs. Once again he’s played in down the left and shanks it wide of the post.

28: Not. Much. Happening.

This could be confused with a testimonial or pre-season affair. No tempo and very few moments of quality.

This is for a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, lads. Pull your fingers out!

25: United’s Plan A appears to be going aerial to Fellaini or Lukaku with Sanchez and Lingard picking up the pieces. It’s not really worked thus far.

Perhaps it’s because Dejan Lovren isn’t playing…

22: It’s gone real quiet inside the stadium now. United fans are getting frustrated with moans and groans as the hosts pass the ball around the back for the sake of it. Restless.

19: The visitors are getting to the edge of Manchester United’s penalty area far too easily. Jose Mourinho looks a fraction more anxious on the sidelines now.

This has the hallmarks of a lethargic sleepwalk out of the competition.

16: Sevilla have had 60% of the possession so far. United’s early positivity has subsided as Vazquez basis another one deep into the Stretford end.

13: United have taken their foot off the has slightly. Eric Bailly is forced into action when Correa lines one up.

The centre-back then inexplicably gifts the ball back to Sevilla, and is fortunate that Muriel skews it wide. Why on earth is Ben Yedder on the bench?!

10: Manchester United have already been more of a threat on Sevilla than the away leg and just 10 minutes in. Positive start from the hosts.

Correa heads over from Banega’s corner.

8: And again… Lukaku nearly flicks a cross from the left goalwards but a block from Mercado prevents any damage.

Banega collects a booking for a dangerous late challenge on Sanchez. Rashford blasts it on target but Sergio Rico palms it away.

5: Bright start from the hosts, and I mean really bright. United are moving the ball quickly, pressing well and look dangerous every time they move forward.

Rashford collects the ball from Sanchez before seeing his effort blocked.

3: Ahhh, it should have been a magnificent opener for Manchester United! Lukaku knocks Kjaer off the ball before playing a sweet one-two with Lingard and blazing miles wide.

1: And we’re off! Ryan Giggs is telling SNTV that 0-0 is always a dangerous scoreline, but thinks United will win at a canter.

Jose certainly looks relaxed with his hands in his pockets.

TWO-MINUTE WARNING

19:43: We’re almost underway folks. It’s a packed house inside Old Trafford and the Manchester United fans have responded to Jose Mourinho’s plea to get behind the side tonight. It’s bouncing.

MANCHESTER UNITED vs SEVILLA

19:40: Quick reminder of the line-ups. Five minutes to go…

Manchester United XI: De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Smalling, Young, Matic, Fellaini, Lingard, Sanchez, Rashford, Lukaku.

Subs: Romero, Lindelof, Pogba, Mata, Martial, Darmian, McTominay.

Sevilla XI: Rico, Mercado, Kjaer, Lenglet, Escudero, N’Zonzi, Banega, Sarabia, Vazquez, Correa, Muriel.

Subs: Soria, Ben Yedder, Geis, Pizarro, Pareja, Nolito, Arana.

BAD ODDS?

19:35: Not 100 per cent sure which boffin discovered this statistic, but I’m inclined to say they wanted Sevilla to qualify.

There have been 30 previous occasions of a side drawing 0-0 in a Champions League knock-out tie in the first leg, away from home. Of those 30 ties, the team playing away in the second leg have progressed on 21 occasions (70%).

TWITTER ROUND-UP

Aleksander: I can see a repeat of Man Utds 2008 semi-final vs Barcelona. 0-0 in first leg, so United to score early tonight and then hold on for the slender and nervous 1-0 lead.

Ricky: The fear tonight is a nervy lacklustre 0-0 at half time and then holding a slender 1-0 lead going into the dying mins at Old Trafford, fearing that one moment to ruin our hopes.

Well: Nothing but a win tonight please lads.. Fight for our spot in the quarters!! Nice early goal. Make Sevilla wish they hadn’t come to OT!!! Let’s smash it.

‘SCHOLESY SAID NEITHER…’

19:25: Some cracking anecdotes being broken out amongst the BT Sports panel.

Rio Ferdinand has just recounted a story when Sir Alex Ferguson called him and Paul Scholes to one side, asking them whether he should start David de Gea or Tomasz Kuszczak.

Rio went for the Spaniard, while Paul Scholes said: “Neither…”

He also revealed that De Gea wears contact lenses. Not sure what you’re supposed to do with that information but I found it interesting.

JOSE: “HUGE GAME”

19:20: Jose Mourinho speaking to BT Sport: “If we don’t go through we watch the quarter-final on TV. It’s simple.

“We have different options and we believe Marouane Fellaini’s qualities make us stronger to start the game with.

“I am sure Sevilla will be alive and in the tie until the end. It is a game of huge pressures for both teams. The home advantage they used very well in Seville and hopefully our people will give us a little bit of a push.”

THE CAT…

19:15: No the bets of nicknames. Do we have a better one for David de Gea?

The Spaniard has saved 20/21 opposition shots that he’s faced in the Champions League this season. He has only conceded one goal but Opta xG data suggests that the average goalkeeper would have conceded five goals from these shots.

He’s basically superhuman.

INEXPERIENCE COUNTS

19:10: The story of last week’s Champions League ties were of experienced European powerhouses Juventus and Real Madrid respectively edging past Tottenham and Paris St Germain, both comparatively green at these stages of the tournament.

While this United side may not have accrued the Champions League nous of the Sir Alex Ferguson sides, they still have players such as Juan Mata and Antonio Valencia, who have played in the competition’s finals.

Sevilla have never reached the last eight of the Champions League and United will be hoping their additional experience works in their favour.

DANGEROUS SCORELINE…

19:05: Manchester City and Liverpool both secured big away wins to put their respective ties to bed with 90 minutes still to play, yet United approached a trip to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan with a more safety-first style and secured just a 0-0 draw.

That means it is still all to play for at Old Trafford and leaves United open to the possibility of crashing out on away goals. Jose Mourinho must hope his cautious tactics in Spain are not what costs his side across the two legs.

“TEAR HIS CONTRACT UP IMMEDIATELY”

19:00: I just… I don’t know what to say.

Marouane Fellaini has taken time out of his busy schedule to have a photoshoot with GQ Style.

And it would be fair to say that it’s received a mixed reception…

One picture shows the Belgian’s hair is reworked into a ‘Mickey Mouse’ style and in another his hair is tied back by a bandana.

I’ll leave you with one Twitter user’s thoughts: “FFS! Why did Fellaini agree to GQ making his hair look like Mickey bloody Mouse! No wonder he’s ineffective when he comes on because we’ve actually employed Mickey Mouse on stilts. Contract needs tearing up immediately.”

Slight overreaction there on Twitter, but that’s nothing new…

TWITTER ROUND-UP

Matt: Marouane Fellaini starts? What is Jose Mourinho’s thinking here? Genuinely bemused and confused. The front four will score buckets against Sevilla though.

Nicki: Why does every team selection put me in a bad mood. How does Fellaini get the nod over Pogba in the biggest match of the season. Makes no sense!

Andy: Fellaini is either gonna drop a 10/10 masterclass, or a 0/10 diasterclass. No in-between.

WE ARE THE ANGRY MOB

18:50: Nice little Kaiser Chiefs reference for you there… they’re still cool, right?

Anyway, I’ve just spotted what looks like the angry mob in that Simpson’s episode where the residents of Springfield attempt to close down the burlesque house.

It actually turned out to be the Sevilla fans heading to Old Trafford.

TEAM NEWS

19:45: Right, what has Jose Mourinho gone with tonight?

He’s shown faith in young Marcus Rashford, who netted twice against Liverpool on Saturday afternoon.

Paul Pogba is on the bench after missing the game against Jurgen Klopp’s side. Jose Mourinho said in his press conference this week that he didn’t know whether the Frenchman would be available.

Mind games if you ask me.

Elsewhere Anthony Martial returns to the bench following his return from injury.

That was my long-winded way of saying Mourinho makes two changes tonight. Fellaini and Rashford IN, Mata and McTominay OUT.

MANCHESTER UNITED vs SEVILLA

18:40: And the line-ups have arrived. A quick glance tells me that Paul Pogba has recovered from his injury, but starts on the bench.

Manchester United XI: De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Smalling, Young, Matic, Fellaini, Lingard, Sanchez, Rashford, Lukaku.

Subs: Romero, Lindelof, Pogba, Mata, Martial, Darmian, McTominay.

Sevilla XI: Rico, Mercado, Kjaer, Lenglet, Escudero, N’Zonzi, Banega, Sarabia, Vazquez, Correa, Muriel.

Subs: Soria, Ben Yedder, Geis, Pizarro, Pareja, Nolito, Arana.

ELSEWHERE…

18:35: Team news should be dropping in any second now. While we wait, allow me to tell you what else is on the agenda this evening.

Roma host Shakhtar Donetsk in the second leg of their round of 16 clash trailing 2-1 on aggregate after falling to defeat in Ukraine last month.

Shakhtar have not reached the quarter-final stage of the Champions League since 2011 and even then they were hammered 6-1 on aggregate by eventual winners Barcelona.

RASHFORD TO START?

18:30: United’s hero at the weekend was homegrown forward Marcus Rashford, who marked his first Premier League start of 2018 with a brace.

Rashford has experienced the kind of inconsistency many his age show but the 20-year-old offered a timely reminder of his brilliance against Liverpool to also prove to Mourinho he can be relied upon in the big moments.

Alexis Sanchez had been underwhelming on the left anyway so Mourinho may consider utilising the Chilean more centrally again and allowing Rashford, a player surely imbued with confidence, to slot in on the left once more.

HAVE YOUR SAY

18:25: If you want to vent your frustrations, or discuss any issues in the world of football (within reason), then get in touch!

You can either comment at the bottom of the page or contact me via Twitter using the hashtag #ExpressSport.

EVENING

18:20: Hello everyone, I hope you’ve all been lucky at the Cheltenham Festival today.

I started brilliantly with Summerville Boy in the opening race, and in signature fashion, proceeded to lose all of the next six.

My punt in the 16:50 is just approaching the finish line now…

Anyway, we’re not here to blab about horse racing, it’s time for the football as Manchester United look to reach this year’s Champions League quarter-finals.

I’m sure Frank de Boer will be wishing Jose Mourinho every success…

MANCHESTER UNITED vs SEVILLA

Paul Pogba is a doubt for Manchester United’s Champions League last-16 second leg against Sevilla.

The 24-year-old missed Saturday’s Premier League win against Liverpool through injury and manager Jose Mourinho is unsure whether the midfielder will be available.

Anthony Martial is back and Zlatan Ibrahimovic trained with his United team-mates ahead of the match, but Ander Herrera, Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones and Daley Blind remain sidelined.

Provisional squad: De Gea, Romero, Pereira, Valencia, Darmian, Shaw, Young, Lindelof, Smalling, Bailly, Matic, Carrick, Pogba, Fellaini, McTominay, Mata, Lingard, Martial, Sanchez, Rashford, Lukaku, Ibrahimovic.

STREAM DETAILS

Manchester United vs Sevilla is being shown live on BT Sport 2 (Sky 414, Sky HD 433, BT TV 409, Virgin Media 532), with the pre-match build-up starting at 7pm.

BT Sport will also be showing the match on a desktop computer or laptop via the company’s own site.

The BT Sport enhanced video player is also available online.