Match ends, Villarreal 1(11), Manchester United 1(10).
David de Gea failed at the end of a marathon penalty shootout as Villarreal dashed Manchester United's hopes of Europa League glory in Gdansk.
This was a disappointing contest lacking in quality and producing only three shots on target across 120 minutes - but drama arrived with the spot-kicks.
All 20 outfield players converted their penalties in the longest shootout in a final of any Uefa competition, and in an increasingly tense stadium Villarreal goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli blasted home his effort and then denied De Gea, who was crestfallen at the end.
It gave Villarreal a first major trophy in their history and saw former Arsenal boss Unai Emery lift the Europa League for an unprecedented fourth time.
However, on the anniversary of both Sir Matt Busby's birth and the epic Champions League final in 1999 that earned Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hero status among the Old Trafford faithful, there was to be no new 26 May landmark as United complete a fourth year without silverware.
United simply did not do enough, despite the massive gulf in transfer fees and salaries between the two clubs.
Solskjaer's side did not start well and fell behind to a soft goal from Gerard Moreno.
Edinson Cavani dragged United level 10 minutes into the second period after a Marcus Rashford shot had been deflected into his path, but United failed to build on that momentum and by the end Solskjaer was introducing Juan Mata and Alex Telles purely to take penalties in the shootout.
Both players scored. Although given De Gea had failed to save any of the previous 21 penalties he had faced, maybe Solskjaer should have followed the example of former United boss Louis van Gaal, who famously brought on Tim Krul purely for a shootout at the 2014 World Cup, which the Netherlands went on to win
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Solskjaer's substitute problem
For most of this season, no-one has been quite sure which United were going to turn up. It felt like that across the whole game in Gdansk, as they alternated between inventive and passive almost with each passing minute.
Evidently, Solskjaer felt he had no choice other than to stick with it.
In the final game of last season, he waited until the 87th minute of the semi-final defeat by Sevilla before making a change.
By then, his side were losing, so it was not a shock the Norwegian had not used any of the six he was allowed on this occasion as extra time began.
The brutal truth is, having gone with his strongest offensive starting XI, there was no-one on the bench Solskjaer felt confident could improve the situation.
In Cavani and Mason Greenwood, two of United's best performers were attackers. But Rashford had a poor game, which was summed up by the England man failing to convert when Greenwood had given him a clear sight at goal.
Any goal would have been ruled offside but Rashford was not to know that as his scuffed effort rolled wide.
Scott McTominay's midfield industry outshone both Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba, who both flitted in and out of the game without producing anything truly remarkable.
Defensive slip-up
It would be easy to point to the absence of captain Harry Maguire as the key factor in Moreno's opener.
But Maguire was on the pitch when United conceded a very similar kind of goal against Everton in February.
On that occasion it was Dominic Calvert-Lewin who slid the ball past De Gea as United's defence failed to deal with a free-kick floated from a deep position into their penalty area.
This time Moreno's run into the box went unchecked, allowing him to get in front of Victor Lindelof and turn Dani Parejo's free-kick into De Gea's goal.
It is the kind of routine situation Solskjaer's team have been vulnerable to all season and seemed to be something Emery had worked out given the number of times Villarreal put themselves in situations to deliver such crosses, without quite getting their execution right.
Not that nervous United defending was limited to set-pieces. The sight of Eric Bailly attempting an overhead-kick inside his own six-yard box in the opening stages of the second period would have been only marginally less worrying had he actually connected with the ball.
It could be argued Solskjaer should have addressed the issue before now. Some may claim it was for the powers-that-be to deal with it for him.
Now, having failed to win a trophy in two and a half seasons as manager, the familiar questions about his own ability will follow the Norwegian around all summer.
United's penalty shootout woes - the stats
- Villarreal are the first side to win in their first appearance in a major European final since Shakhtar Donetsk in the 2008-09 Uefa Cup.
- Manchester United have lost six of their last seven penalty shootouts in all competitions, only winning against Rochdale in the League Cup in September 2019 in that time.
- Villarreal boss Unai Emery is the first manager to win either the Uefa Cup or Europa League four times, surpassing Giovanni Trapattoni.
- Villarreal became the 13th side in Europe's big five leagues to hit the 100-goal milestone in all competitions this season (100).
- The three shots on target produced in the game (one for Villarreal and two for Manchester United) was the lowest tally in a Europa League final since Porto v Sporting Braga in 2011 also saw just three.
- Gerard Moreno netted his 82nd goal in all competitions for Villarreal, joining Giuseppe Rossi as the club's all-time top-scorer.
- Moreno became the first player to score 30+ goals for Villarreal in a single season in all competitions since Giuseppe Rossi in 2010-11 (32).
- Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani became just the third player aged 34 or above to score in a major European final for an English club, after Gary McAllister (36) for Liverpool in the Uefa Cup final versus Alaves in 2000-01 and Didier Drogba (34) for Chelsea in the Champions League final versus Bayern Munich in 2011-12
- Manchester United's Edinson Cavani has scored 16 goals in his last 11 starts in the Europa League.
- Manchester United's Mason Greenwood made his 52nd appearance this season in all competitions, the joint-most of any teenager with a team from Europe's big five leagues along with Barcelona's Pedri.
Player of the match
MorenoGerard Moreno
Villarreal
Avg
- Squad number7Player nameMorenoAverage rating
7.98
- Squad number18Player nameMorenoAverage rating
7.87
- Squad number5Player nameParejoAverage rating
7.84
- Squad number4Player nameP TorresAverage rating
7.83
- Squad number3Player nameAlbiolAverage rating
7.80
- Squad number19Player nameCoquelinAverage rating
7.75
- Squad number17Player namePaco AlcรกcerAverage rating
7.72
- Squad number2Player nameMario GasparAverage rating
7.70
- Squad number13Player nameRulliAverage rating
7.69
- Squad number12Player nameDani RabaAverage rating
7.68
- Squad number25Player nameCapoueAverage rating
7.67
- Squad number9Player nameBaccaAverage rating
7.64
- Squad number14Player nameManu TriguerosAverage rating
7.62
- Squad number23Player nameMoi GรณmezAverage rating
7.60
- Squad number8Player nameFoythAverage rating
7.57
- Squad number30Player namePinoAverage rating
7.55
- Squad number24Player namePedrazaAverage rating
7.51
Manchester United
Avg
- Squad number7Player nameCavaniAverage rating
5.89
- Squad number39Player nameMcTominayAverage rating
5.76
- Squad number23Player nameShawAverage rating
4.88
- Squad number8Player nameMataAverage rating
4.52
- Squad number29Player nameWan-BissakaAverage rating
4.45
- Squad number11Player nameGreenwoodAverage rating
4.37
- Squad number38Player nameTuanzebeAverage rating
4.30
- Squad number18Player nameBruno FernandesAverage rating
4.28
- Squad number21Player nameJamesAverage rating
4.21
- Squad number27Player nameAlex TellesAverage rating
4.13
- Squad number6Player namePogbaAverage rating
4.05
- Squad number3Player nameBaillyAverage rating
3.98
- Squad number17Player nameFredAverage rating
3.94
- Squad number2Player nameLindelรถfAverage rating
3.68
- Squad number1Player namede GeaAverage rating
3.65
- Squad number10Player nameRashfordAverage rating
3.18
Line-ups
Villarreal
Formation 4-4-2
- 13Rulli
- 8FoythBooked at 84minsSubstituted forM Gasparat 88'minutes
- 3Albiol
- 4P Torres
- 24PedrazaSubstituted forMorenoat 88'minutes
- 30PinoSubstituted forAlcรกcerat 77'minutes
- 25CapoueBooked at 54minsSubstituted forRabaseda Antolรญnat 120+3'minutes
- 5Parejo
- 14Trigueros MuรฑozSubstituted forGรณmez Bardonadoat 77'minutes
- 7Moreno
- 9BaccaSubstituted forCoquelinat 60'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Asenjo
- 2M Gaspar
- 6Funes Mori
- 12Rabaseda Antolรญn
- 15Estupiรฑรกn
- 17Alcรกcer
- 18Moreno
- 19Coquelin
- 20Peรฑa
- 21Costa
- 23Gรณmez Bardonado
- 34Niรฑo
Man Utd
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1de Gea
- 29Wan-BissakaSubstituted forMataat 120+3'minutes
- 3BaillyBooked at 82minsSubstituted forTuanzebeat 116'minutes
- 2Lindelรถf
- 23Shaw
- 39McTominaySubstituted forAlex Tellesat 120+3'minutes
- 6PogbaSubstituted forJamesat 116'minutes
- 11GreenwoodSubstituted forFredat 100'minutes
- 18Bruno Fernandes
- 10Rashford
- 7CavaniBooked at 113mins
Substitutes
- 5Maguire
- 8Mata
- 13Grant
- 17Fred
- 19Diallo
- 21James
- 26Henderson
- 27Alex Telles
- 31Matic
- 33Williams
- 34van de Beek
- 38Tuanzebe
- Referee:
- Clรฉment Turpin
- Attendance:
- 9,412
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home40%
- Away60%
- Shots
- Home12
- Away14
- Shots on Target
- Home1
- Away2
- Corners
- Home7
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home10
- Away15
Live Text
Post update
Penalties over
Penalty Shootout ends, Villarreal 1(11), Manchester United 1(10).
Post update
Penalty saved! David de Gea (Manchester United) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom right corner.
Post update
Goal! Villarreal 1(11), Manchester United 1(10). Gerรณnimo Rulli (Villarreal) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
Post update
Goal! Villarreal 1(10), Manchester United 1(10). Victor Lindelรถf (Manchester United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top left corner.
Post update
Goal! Villarreal 1(10), Manchester United 1(9). Pau Torres (Villarreal) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the top left corner.
Post update
Goal! Villarreal 1(9), Manchester United 1(9). Axel Tuanzebe (Manchester United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
Post update
Goal! Villarreal 1(9), Manchester United 1(8). Mario Gaspar (Villarreal) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the high centre of the goal.
Post update
Goal! Villarreal 1(8), Manchester United 1(8). Luke Shaw (Manchester United) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Post update
Goal! Villarreal 1(8), Manchester United 1(7). Francis Coquelin (Villarreal) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
Post update
Goal! Villarreal 1(7), Manchester United 1(7). Daniel James (Manchester United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
Post update
Goal! Villarreal 1(7), Manchester United 1(6). Raรบl Albiol (Villarreal) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Post update
Goal! Villarreal 1(6), Manchester United 1(6). Fred (Manchester United) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Post update
Goal! Villarreal 1(6), Manchester United 1(5). Moi Gรณmez (Villarreal) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal.
Post update
Goal! Villarreal 1(5), Manchester United 1(5). Edinson Cavani (Manchester United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Post update
Goal! Villarreal 1(5), Manchester United 1(4). Daniel Parejo (Villarreal) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Post update
Goal! Villarreal 1(4), Manchester United 1(4). Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Post update
Goal! Villarreal 1(4), Manchester United 1(3). Alberto Moreno (Villarreal) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Post update
Goal! Villarreal 1(3), Manchester United 1(3). Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
Post update
Goal! Villarreal 1(3), Manchester United 1(2). Paco Alcรกcer (Villarreal) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
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Comments
Join the conversation
If there's anything better than watching Man United getting beaten it's watching Man United getting beaten on penalties in a final!
๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ๐คฃ
โTheyโll open this team up and if they get one goal, I think 2 or 3 will comeโ.
Ferdinard at extra-time:
โI fancy Manu to win if it goes to penalties. They have big playersโ.
WRONG and WRONG
"This isn't the level Man Utd want to be playing at, they want to be in the other European final..."
They were beaten by a club from a town the size of Glastonbury!!
OLE AT THE WHEEL. ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
The comedy club keep on giving ๐
Football won tonight๐พ