Surrounded by a partisan army, Manchester United defeated Real Sociedad 4-1 at Old Trafford in the second leg of their Europa League last-16 tie on Thursday evening.
Bruno Fernandes netted a hat-trick before Diogo Dalot rattled in a late fourth as the Red Devils put the game beyond the reach of their Spanish opponents.
Having drawn 1-1 in San Sebastian a week ago, the visitors started brightly and took the lead after only 10 minutes from 12 yards following a fairly soft penalty award.
Matthijs de Ligt was adjudged to have fouled Mikel Oyarzabal in the box, and the Spanish forward dusted himself down to fire home the resultant spot-kick.
Fernandes then helped himself to a brace of penalties to put the hosts in the ascendancy before Sociedad had Jon Aramburu sent off in the second half.
Talismanic playmaker Fernandes completed his hat-trick in the 87th minute after good work by Alejandro Garnacho.
Dalot put the icing on the cake with his late effort as the three-time European Champions marched into the quarter-final where they will face French side Lyon.
Bruno Fernandes steps up to inspire his team to victory
There is no denying that Bruno is the leading man at Manchester United, and he has certainly stepped up to the plate in recent times.
After a memorable free-kick against Arsenal last weekend, the skipper showed nerves of steel to send the goalkeeper the wrong way twice, calmly converting both penalties.
The 30-year-old capped a fantastic night by finishing off his third goal of the game after being played through by Garnacho late on.
It was no more than the skipper deserved, and when his club needs a hero, Fernandes is proving to be a true inspiration.
Dorgu bringing Amorim’s system to life
Unquestionably, United looked more threatening with Patrick Dorgu restored to the starting XI.
The young Danish defender compliments Ruben Amorim’s system, and the Reds look more balanced and fluid when the 20-year-old is on the field.
His impact on the game was felt almost immediately, with the January recruit driving forward at every opportunity.
The former Lecce youngster won the crucial second penalty that allowed United to get their noses in front, and he was a constant threat to the Spanish outfit throughout the 90 minutes.
This was definitely Dorgu’s best performance in a red shirt to date, and hopefully, we are witnessing a sign of things to come.
Heaven impresses on his first start
It was an eye-catching full debut for teenage defender Ayden Heaven.
The former Arsenal youth star looked assured in and out of possession and grew into the game with each passing minute.
With Leny Yoro missing out through injury, the 18-year-old built on his recent cameos against Arsenal and Fulham with another strong display.
Amorim chose to start the left-footed London lad ahead of the more experienced Victor Lindelof, and his decision was vindicated as Heaven was imperious throughout.
Having signed from the Gunners for a nominal fee in the region of £1.5 million in the winter window, it could prove to be a bargain in the fullness of time.
Hojlund delivers an improved performance
Rasmus Hojlund’s goal drought continued against La Real and now stands at 21 games. However, it was a much-improved display from the striker.
The Copenhagen native won plenty of duels, put himself about well, and was generally much more involved in the play. But, he will be frustrated at not taking at least one of the chances that fell his way.
Encouragingly, the 22-year-old won the penalty for the hosts’ opener after being dragged back and registered a nice assist for Dalot’s goal late on.
Hopefully, a stirring showing should give the Denmark international a much-needed confidence boost going into the game against Leicester in the league at the weekend.
Amorim’s system is slowly starting to take shape
United’s performance in the second leg win over their La Liga counterparts was arguably one of their finest since the former Sporting chief arrived in November.
After months of unforgiving toil and failure to fully adapt to the new style of play, the Portuguese tactician will be delighted to see his troops finally look like they are beginning to grasp his philosophy.
United dominated lengthy periods against the Basque outfit and deservedly put them to the sword in the final quarter. The forward players combined well, while the wing-backs were integral to how the home side dominated proceedings.
Slowly but surely, the North West giants are getting there under the 40-year-old.
What did you think of the performance in the 4-1 win for Manchester United against Real Sociedad? Let us know in the comments or across our social channels.
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