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#3 Manchester United's intensity pays off with Cavani goal
Villarreal portrayed extreme levels of resilience while defending. Their shape without the ball and organization during transitions of the game was simply stupendous.
Carving open their defense wasn't going to come by easily for Manchester United, until Cavani rifled home the leveler from a rebound.
It's fair to say Manchester United deserved a goal after all the pressure at various junctures of the fixture. Although they weren't as clinical as they would have liked, Ole's side never stopped pushing bodies forward and looking for a telling pass.
Cavani scored a goal that epitomizes all that he's about - gritty, alert and someone who can launch a sucker punch with little or no time to react. The Spanish side switched off for a split second and the Uruguayan was the first to react.
#4 The final turns cagey as the sides enter extra time
Despite Cavani's equalizer and Manchester United's sustained pressure on Villarreal, there was nothing to separate the sides after 90 minutes. Too many efforts on either side of the bar, wayward shots and a lack of incision from either side resulted in the game going toextra time.
Much to the surprise of the spectators, it was Emery's team that was more proactive in the second stage of the final. They created more space down Manchester United's left, as the likes of Rashford and Shaw failed to retain their positions or help out with the defensive scheme of things.
Alberto Moreno fluffed his lines from a glorious opportunity to cross the ball with all the space in the world, while the likes of Gerard and Raul Albiol won numerous free-kicks.
It was, indeed, a tremendous effort from Villarreal to have shut Manchester United out after 120 minutes. They proved to be the more hard-working team in extra-time, defended with serious concentration and gave themselves a realistic chance with penalties.
#5 A sensational shootout overshadows an uneventful 120 minutes
Completely against the run of play, the penalties elevated everyone's heart rate and turned the fixture into an absolute classic.
It was a complete contrast to the 120 minutes that transpired in Gdansk. Against the odds, Villarreal converted 11 penalties as opposed to United's 10 to have their name engraved on the Europa League trophy.
It started with a slew of mind games that saw both teams only going to the left side of the goal. There were some breathtaking spot-kicks, but Villarreal's Rulli came to the fore, scoring his penalty and then choosing the right side to parry David de Gea's penalty away.
One factor that was common between the 120 minutes and the shootout was Villarreal's collective effort. Quite remarkably, all 11 players on the pitch at the end of full-time tucked their penalties away.
While it will be a long night full of celebrations for Villarreal, Solskjaer's men will have to regroup after losing by the finest of margins. Perhaps Manchester United need more leaders on the pitch; personalities with the winning mentality and those players who can carry their entire team on their backs.
