Man Utd into Europa League final

The English team won 2-1 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw in the second leg with Celta Vigo on the evening of May 11.

Fellaini's goal helped Man Utd play in the championship match. Photo: Reuters.

Goals: Fellaini (17') - Roncaglia (85').

Man Utd left the Old Trafford crowd in fear for more than 10 minutes as Roncaglia equalised for Celta Vigo. However, the visitors could not add another goal thanks to John Guidetti's last-gasp miss.

The home side had opened the scoring in the first half when Fellaini met Marcus Raford's precise cross and headed home from close range against Celta Vigo. Fellaini's strike helped Man Utd win 2-1 on aggregate and book their place in the Europa League final for the first time in their history.

In the final, Man Utd will meet Dutch representative Ajax on May 24. However, they will not have the service of center-back Eric Bailly because this player received a red card for a fight with Roncaglia of Celta Vigo. This is a big loss for Man Utd in the context of the team being short of force due to injury.

Celta Vigo players shed tears after losing on the threshold of the final. Photo: Reuters.

Man Utd and Celta Vigo head into a historic clash at Old Trafford as they look to reach their first ever Europa League final. The home side, with a 1-0 first-leg lead, know they only need to keep a clean sheet to reach their goal.

Celta Vigo denied Man Utd that with a header from centre-back Roncaglia. However, Man Utd scored an early goal through Fellaini to keep history repeating. The English side have never been eliminated from a two-legged tie after winning the first leg away.

Throughout the 90 minutes, the two teams played an exciting game with back-and-forth attacks. Celta Vigo played with a much more lively face than in the first leg despite playing away at Old Trafford. It seemed that the motivation of being behind helped the Spanish team's players become more determined.

Man Utd had to rely on the brilliance of goalkeeper Sergio Romero to overcome the moment of pressure from Celta Vigo. The Argentine goalkeeper denied shots from Iago Aspas and former Man City striker Guidetti. On the other side, his colleague Sergio Alvarez was also active in blocking a one-on-one situation with Rashford and a long-range shot from Mkhitaryan.

Celta Vigo's efforts made Man Utd have a difficult time. Photo: Reuters.

Celta Vigo were within touching distance of reaching the final after Roncaglia headed home an equaliser. The visitors needed another goal and Guidetti was just yards away when the ball fell to the striker six seconds before the end. However, the moment of surprise meant the striker dubbed 'the next Ibrahimovic' could not finish into an empty net.

The image of Guidetti collapsing on the pitch contrasted with the joy and explosion in the Old Trafford stands. During their 115-year history, Man Utd have won the English championship 20 times and the European Cup/Champions League three times, but this is the first time they have reached the Europa League final. The missing title in the trophy room will give Man Utd more determination in the final.

Mourinho's joy after Man Utd entered the final. Photo: Reuters.

Besides, this is also a do-or-die gamble for coach Mourinho, who is considered to have given up on the Premier League arena. The Europa League title and a ticket to the Champions League next season will end the first season satisfactorily for Mourinho. However, if things do not go as planned, it means this is a disaster when the board of directors has invested heavily but Mourinho cannot bring Man Utd back to the most prestigious arena in Europe.

Mourinho had a good memory in the second-tier European competition when he led Porto to win the UEFA Cup (precursor of Europa League) in the 2002-2003 season. Don't forget that in the following season, Mourinho won his first Champions League after leading Porto to beat Man Utd at Old Trafford.

According to VNE