With a 4-1 victory over Real Betis in the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 match at Old Trafford, Manchester United got back on track.
An unchanged United team passionately responded a few days after being humiliated by Liverpool to advance to the quarterfinals.
Erik ten Hag’s team did not have it all easy, as Ayoze Perez equalized in the first half after Marcus Rashford had given the home team an early lead.
However, a solid second half gave United the upper hand. Antony guided home a distinctive curler, Bruno Fernandes scored with a goal, and Wout Weghorst added further gloss to the score.
United came out of the blocks flying and having already seen a Weghorst goal disallowed for offside, took the lead in the sixth minute as Rashford capped off a fine counter-attack to smash into the top corner.
Before Betis equalized against the flow of play when Juanmi flicked a pass to Leicester City loanee Perez, who hammered into the far corner and gave David de Gea no chance, Claudio Bravo was called upon to deny Weghorst and Rashford.
The visitors came close to taking the lead two minutes before halftime. De Gea carelessly passed the ball to Juanmi, who then fed a pass to Perez, but United got away with it because Lisandro Martinez deflected Perez’s pass onto the post.
Seven minutes after the break, Antony cut inside onto his left foot and curled the ball past Bravo from outside the box to give United the lead once more.
The hosts’ advantage was doubled just six minutes later, Fernandes finding space at the near post to head Luke Shaw’s corner home despite Bravo getting both hands to the ball.
Bravo kept the scoreline respectable with a number of crucial saves but could do nothing as Weghorst tucked home on the rebound after Scott McTominay’s effort was saved, with United on course for the quarter-finals.
Advantage: United! 👏#MUFC || #UEL
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 9, 2023