Villarreal created history after edging out Manchester United in the Europa League finals through penalties as it meant the first-ever title in their history. Here we take a look at how the players fared in the finals.
Villarreal
Geronimo Rulli – 7
Man of the match, in my opinion, as the Argentine goalkeeper stopped stop the crucial penalty of De Gea’s in the shoot out.
Pau Torres – 7
Torres managed to impress once again with an impressive performance – making some crucial tackles and interceptions at any time.
Raul Albiol – 7.5
Albiol was equally stunning in the defence as his experience helped Villarreal contain the Yellow Submarine.
Juan Foyth – 7
Forth nearly had his night called off after sustaining an injury in the end. However, the young Argentine defender came back more robust with a winning spirit. He also kept players like Rashford and Bruno Fernandes at bay.
Anfonso Pedraza – 6
United’s pacy wingers often troubled the left-back, and while in attacking transition, he failed to make the most out of opportunities.
Etienne Capoue – 6.5
The former Watford midfielder was defensively good for the Spanish club.
Dani Parejo – 7.5
Parejo’s delivery set up Moreno’s first goal, and apart from that, it wasn’t a free-flowing night from the Spanish playmaker.
Yeremi Pino – 6.5
Yeremi looked like a real deal in the long run, but it is pretty harsh to expect much from an 18-year-old.
Manu Trigueros – 6.5
Club legend Trigueros hasn’t had the most significant impact on the field.
Gerard Moreno – 8
Scored the only goal for Villarreal, and thus his tally reached 30 goals in all competitions this season. An underrated striker has guided the Yellow Submarine to their first-ever title.
Carlos Bacca – 6.5
The Colombian left no significant impact on the field before being substituted in the second half.
Mario Gaspar – 7
Came as a substitution.
Paco Alcacer – 7
Came as a substitution.
Alberto Moreno – 7
Came as a substitution.
Francis Coquelin – 7
Came as a substitution.
Moi Gómez – 7
Came as a substitution.
Dani Raba was brought into the game in extra time.
Manchester United
David de Gea – 4.5
David de Gea couldn’t have any better forgetful experience on what looks like his final game for the Red Devils. The Spanish goalkeeper conceded a goal in the normal time before having his penalty saved in the extensive shootout.
Eric Bailly – 5.5
The Portuguese centre-back had to fill the big shoes of injured Harry Maguire and fared decently.
Victor Lindelof – 5
Lindelof allowed Gerard Moreno to outpower him to open the scoring for Villarreal. The Swede centre-back’s struggles against more physical opponents were manifest once again.
Aaron Wan Bissaka – 5.5
Wan Bissaka always looked ready with his swiftness, and once again, he proved he is more of a defensive full-back rather than one who often provides support in the attacking phase.
Luke Shaw – 6.5
Shaw had a good second half after a struggling start, failing to maintain a good understanding with Marcus Rashford. On one instance after the break, the English full-back looked more effective on a counter-attack, clipping inside with a brilliant skill before almost setting up Edinson Cavani.
Scott McTominay – 7
McTominay has been the most proactive and is arguably the pick of all the midfielders. McTominay’s engine always put Villarreal on the back, and his late runs also proved dangerous. While defending and moving the ball forward, the Scottish midfielder kept his cool.
Paul Pogba – 5.5
The Frenchman also looked good for the majority of the game, making some important tackles and interceptions. But his primary role is to dictate the play from deep or in midfield, and in that aspect, Pogba struggled quite a little.
Bruno Fernandes – 5.5
Fernandes was distraught at the end of the game, and it has been such a night for him. The Yellow Submarine’s low block completely held the Portuguese playmaker’s influence.
Mason Greenwood – 6
Greenwood’s runs were often daunting for the defenders, and so were his crosses. But the Golden boy didn’t find himself in the favourable positions to score goals.
Marcus Rashford – 5.5
It was a disappointing night for Marcus Rashford, who hardly shook Yellow Submarine’s defence.
Edinson Cavani – 7
Cavani’s goalscoring run continued to the final as he scored the equaliser in the second half to bring United back into the game.
Fred, Axel Tuanzebe, Daniel James, Juan Mata and Alex Telles are all introduced very late during the extra time.
