Manchester United faced Real Betis on Thursday night in the Europa League last-16 first leg, marking their return to action after their devastating loss at Anfield. Fans were curious to see if manager Erik ten Hag had made changes to the starting XI responsible for the joint-worst defeat in United’s history. However, ten Hag made a surprising decision to hand the same team the chance to put their embarrassing performance right.
While some saw it as a generous interpretation, others believed that ten Hag’s selection represented a punishment, with the Dutch manager telling those responsible for the debacle to rid themselves of the stigma. The decision was also a calculated gamble as United faced current injury problems with Anthony Martial, Christian Eriksen, and Donny van de Beek, which limited their alternatives.
Ten Hag had the option of starting Jadon Sancho instead of Wout Weghorst or Bruno Fernandes, but dropping the latter was inconceivable, considering ten Hag had publicly backed him 24 hours earlier. Fernandes was the object of national derision after the Anfield match, and the on-field United captain was on his best behaviour against Real Betis. He led counterattacks and assisted on the second goal while covering his ears during his celebration to tune out the criticism he faced.
Fernandes was one of the few players on either side to opt to go without gloves on a freezing, snowy Manchester night, a small point that implied he meant business. He showed occasional frustration, throwing up his arms after a pass did not reach its intended target, but it was nowhere near as petulant or self-destructive as his behaviour at Anfield.
Ten Hag praised Fernandes, saying he was the best player on the pitch and showed his personality, playing a bit of a deeper role and doing it brilliantly. He also made the game from the back, with a lot of good passes in between the lines. United’s early approach and work rate were commendable, especially from Fernandes and Antony, two of the main contributors to the weekend disaster. Their performances offered some retribution and justified ten Hag’s team selection.
After an energetic start that brought United their early opening goal, they weathered spells of Betis pressure, particularly on the counter-attack. There were some uncertain moments from Diogo Dalot and David De Gea, but unlike Sunday, the players around them did not go into hiding and capitulate. United’s attitude was to treat Sunday as if it was some dark nightmarish vision that had never happened, and there was no suggestion of the Old Trafford crowd getting on the backs of a starting XI that had performed so shamefully four days earlier.
Fernandes and Weghorst’s goals were met by some of the biggest cheers of the season before a handful of Betis supporters engaged in altercations with stewards for no apparent reason, prompting a UEFA investigation. While the events at Anfield will linger in United’s psyche for generations to come, this match was the start of the healing process. It was a sign of goodwill that ten Hag’s side had already banked in winning United’s first trophy in six years, and their fan base appeared prepared to forgive, if not forget.
In conclusion, Manchester United’s return to action against Real Betis was a chance for them to put their devastating loss at Anfield behind them. Manager Erik ten Hag’s decision to hand the same team the chance to put their embarrassing performance right was a calculated gamble, but the team rose to the occasion. Bruno Fernandes, who was the object of national derision after the Anfield match, was on his best behaviour and praised by ten Hag for being the best player on the pitch. United’s attitude and work rate were commendable, and their fan base appeared prepared to forgive and forget, which was a sign of love for the team.
