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FLOP - Marcus Rashford | Manchester United
Marcus Rashford enjoyed a fantastic season with Manchester United, but much like Bruno Fernandes, he failed to step up when his team needed him the most in the UEFA Europa League final. Having started alongside Mason Greenwood and Edinson Cavani in attack, the onus was on him to terrorize the Villarreal backline with his pace and trickery.
However, Unai Emery's side kept him at bay rather comfortably, as he endured a torrid outing in Gdansk. Rashford looked out of sorts and nothing seemed to go his way, as the Red Devils struggled to create chances at will.
He scored his penalty, but overall it was a frustrating night for the Englishman, who was visibly distraught after the full-time whistle.
HIT - Dani Parejo | Villarreal
Villarreal's midfield general Dani Parejo was the coolest head on the pitch and added some much-needed calmness to Unai Emery's side. The experienced midfielder is one of the most underrated players of his generation and added another feather to his cap with a magnificent display in the center of the park.
Parejo provided the assist for Gerard Moreno's goal and converted his penalty calmly, while he also kept things ticking in midfield and dominated proceedings against the likes of Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay and Fernandes.
The 32-year-old showed his experience in a big European tie and was arguably the best player on the pitch.
FLOP - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | Manchester United
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first final as Manchester United manager turned out to be a disaster. His decision to drop Fred in favor of an extra attacker on the biggest stage didn't work, as Villarreal dominated proceedings in midfield. Additionally, the Norwegian left it too late with his substitutions, as his first change came in the 100th minute of the game.
On paper, Manchester United were by far a better side than Villarreal. However, they failed to show that on the pitch and didn't look convincing on the night, as the Yellow Submarine pipped them on penalties after containing them rather easily over 120 minutes.
The likes of Juan Mata, Alex Telles, Daniel James and Axel Tuanzebe were introduced far too late to have any impact on the game. While it is likely that they were brought on with one eye on the penalty shootout, Solskjaer had a big enough squad to freshen things up but refused to do so when his side looked desperately devoid of ideas.
After a devastating loss, it remains to be seen how he rallies his players to come back stronger next season.
