Manchester United leave it late to book Europa League semi-final place

Victory saw Mourinho's men stumble a step closer to the Stockholm finale 3-2 on aggregate.

Manchester United leave it late to book Europa League semi-final place

Manchester United 2 Anderlecht 1 (AET) (Manchester United progress 3-2 on aggregate.)

Marcus Rashford sent Manchester United into the Europa League semi-finals after Anderlecht took Jose Mourinho's side to extra-time in a breathless encounter.

England's last European representatives came into the quarter-final second leg boosted by Sunday's surprisingly dominant win against Premier League leaders Chelsea and Henrikh Mkhitaryan's away goal.

The Armenian struck again early on but United were given a scare, with Anderlecht captain Sofiane Hanni bringing the tie level, before Rashford capped a man-of-the-match display with the goal that secured a 2-1 extra-time triumph.

Victory saw Mourinho's men stumble a step closer to the Stockholm finale 3-2 on aggregate, but the Old Trafford quarter-final second leg proved costly as Marcos Rojo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic sustained what appear to be serious injuries.

Few could have foreseen such an arduous evening after Mkhitaryan's fifth goal in six Europa League matches, but impressive Anderlecht went into half-time level after Hanni reacted quickest to Youri Tielemans' deflected effort rebounding off the crossbar.

United's desperation to avoid an embarrassing exit was matched by the visitors' desire to win on English soil for the first time, leading to a thrilling second half that came to an excruciating end for Ibrahimovic.

The veteran Swede's enforced exit after landing awkwardly saw Rashford lead the line and the outrageously-talented 19-year-old struck the decisive blow, showing wonderful composure and skill to strike a 107th-minute winner.

more courts articles

Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson arrives at court to face sex charges Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson arrives at court to face sex charges
Case against Jeffrey Donaldson to be heard in court Case against Jeffrey Donaldson to be heard in court
Defendant in Cobh murder case further remanded in custody Defendant in Cobh murder case further remanded in custody

More in this section

Manchester City v Real Madrid - UEFA Champions League - Quarter-Final - Second Leg - Etihad Stadium Haaland out of Man City’s trip to Brighton, confirms Guardiola
Arne Slot file photo Liverpool in talks with Feyenoord to appoint Arne Slot as Jurgen Klopp successor
Soccer - Pre Season Friendly - Manchester City v Celtic - City of Manchester stadium Former Argentina striker Carlos Tevez admitted to hospital with chest pains
Sport Push Notifications

By clicking on 'Sign Up' you will be the first to know about our latest and best sporting content on this browser.

Sign Up
Sport
Newsletter

Latest news from the world of sport, along with the best in opinion from our outstanding team of sports writers

Sign up
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited