Manchester United secured their spot in the group stages of next season’s Champions League as they brushed aside a young Ajax side at Stockholm’s Friends Arena to win the Europa League for the very first time in their illustrious history.
Jose Mourinho’s side opened the scoring early on when Paul Pogba’s strike deflected off defender Davinson Sanchez to leave goalkeeper Andre Onana wrong-footed. Their lead was doubled when Ajax failed to clear the first ball from a corner, allowing Henrikh Mkhitaryan to produce a smart back-flicked finish.
Mourinho expertly switched to game management post the second goal to see out the remainder of the match and guide United to European success and a place amongst Europe’s elite next season.
Here are the talking points from the encounter at Stockholm:
#1 A young Ajax come unstuck
Ajax deserve all the plaudits for making it to the summit clash at Stockholm with such a young and vibrant side. However, they came unstuck against a side filled with quality and experience.
With the average age of the starting line-up just 22 years and 8 months, Ajax were always going to find it tough against the United players, most of whom have already embraced European finals at earlier stages in their careers.
That was apparent from the very first minute, as goalkeeper Andre Onana fluffed his lines in an attempt to catch the ball from a cross and, luckily for him, saw the rebound sliced off target by Paul Pogba. The defence looked shaky against an early spell of United dominance that ended in a fortuitous goal for the world-record signing.
Though Ajax responded with a flurry of quick passes and crosses from the wide men, United, in particular former Ajax man Daley Blind, always had an answer. Once the second goal went in, Ajax were doomed to defeat as the midfield trio of Marouane Fellaini, Ander Herrera and Pogba resorted to defensive duties and effectively shut all pockets of space for the Dutch outfit to exploit.
It was a game the Ajax youngsters will take a lot out of, but today was all about Jose Mourinho’s tactical masterclass and United’s joyful end to a long and draining season.
#2 Kasper Dolberg fails to shine on the biggest stage
A major chunk of the build-up to the final involved 19-year-old Kasper Dolberg’s scintillating form this season. The forward, who has scored 23 goals this campaign, was tipped to be a handful for United’s defenders due to his dangerous movement inside the penalty box.
However, his impact was next to nil on the night of the final, as Chris Smalling and Daley Blind ensured that he was never able to get any real time on the ball around the 18-yard area.
He got his first touch of the ball only after United took the lead and did not create a chance or take a shot on goal to test Sergio Romero throughout the match. He was eventually substituted around the hour mark. Jose Mourinho must be given credit for recognising Ajax’s biggest threat in the form of Dolberg and setting a game plan to counter the same.
#3 Matteo Darmian excels at left-back against Bertrand Traore
With Ajax’s Chelsea loanee Bertrand Traore up against Matteo Darmian on the wing, many would have expected the Italian defender to struggle against Traore’s pace and quick thinking. However, Darmian seemed to win the duel as he tracked Traore’s runs towards the byline and read his feints without trouble.
Being a right-back in nature, Darmian might have been expected to struggle on the opposite flank but he stuck to his defensive duties and did not surge forward unnecessarily to support the attack, leaving that task to Henrikh Mkhitaryan instead.
His commanding performance meant that Traore struggled to run into channels from the wing and make any inroads into the United defence.
#4 Davinson Sanchez is a future prospect
In a game where very few things went right for Ajax, a major positive can be taken from the performance of one of their centre-backs, Davinson Sanchez. The 20-year-old was immense at the back, making two excellent last-ditch challenges to deny Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard from getting shots at goal.
He didn’t hesitate to make forward runs either, getting involved in Ajax’s attacks in their ultimately futile attempts to break down a stubborn Manchester United defence. His apparent weakness is his lack of composure when in possession. That will surely improve with time spent on the training ground, making the Colombian one to look out for in the future.
#5 Is Marcus Rashford ready to lead United’s line?
When Zlatan Ibrahimovic was ruled out of the season with a hyperextended knee he suffered during the quarter-final tie against RSC Anderlecht, it was an opportunity for 19-year-old Marcus Rashford to make the No. 9 position his own and show that he has the ability to lead United’s attack on a regular basis.
He has been impressive in flashes, showing intent to dribble past opposition players with his quick feet but often coming up short inside the box. Rashford often attempts to do all the work by himself even though he has options available to him on either side of the field.
In the game against Ajax, he often found space in the channels between Sanchez and Matthijs de Ligt to receive a long ball but subsequently lost possession in an attempt to take on Ajax’s defence all by himself. Until he improves on that front, Jose Mourinho will shy away from labelling him United’s numero uno striker. With rumours of Antoine Griezmann’s proposed move to Old Trafford in the summer gathering steam, it is likely that the Frenchman will take over the number nine role, with the promising Rashford playing second fiddle.
