Champions League heartbreak ‘nothing new’ for Manchester United says Jose Mourinho – who has knocked them out twice
Boss refuses to make a drama of loss to Sevilla pointing out that his own Porto and Real Madrid sides beat Alex Ferguson teams at Old Trafford
Wissam Ben Yedder struck twice in four second-half minutes on Tuesday to send Sevilla into the quarter-finals for the first time in 60 years as United suffered a first European home defeat since Alex Ferguson’s Champions League farewell in 2013.
Mourinho was on the winning side that night as Real Madrid manager and also sent United out of the last 16 when Porto boss in 2004.
“I don’t want to make a drama of it. We have no time to be sad for more than 24 hours, that’s football. It’s not the end of the world.”
The visitors were deserving winners as they controlled the game throughout, but had to wait for Ben Yedder’s introduction as a substitute 18 minutes from time to add a clinical finish by taking his Champions League tally for the season to eight goals in seven appearances.
Ben Yedder put Sevilla in front two minutes later when he blasted into the bottom corner before heading in a second soon after.
Romelu Lukaku reduced United’s arrears, but it was too little, too late with Mourinho’s decision to once again drop Paul Pogba certain to be scrutinised.
“In the first half we played a good game apart from the last 30 metres,” said Sevilla coach Vincenzo Montella.
“In the second half we were more clinical with Ben Yedder, he made the difference today.”
Sevilla dominated the vast majority of the first leg only to be denied by some stunning saves from David de Gea.
However, it was wayward finishing rather than the Spanish number one that prevented the visitors making the most of their ascendancy for most of the match.
Indeed, of Sevilla’s 10 efforts on goal in the first period only one weak Muriel effort forced De Gea into making a save.
Mourinho’s gamble on Fellaini appeared to have largely backfired as he failed to impose his physical presence on Sevilla’s ball players in midfield.
Yet, the Belgian nearly made the breakthrough with United’s best move of the opening period when he latched onto Alexis Sanchez’s lay-off and his powerful effort was turned behind by Sergio Rico.
Pogba, who cost United a then-world record US$116 million in 2016, was eventually introduced just after the hour mark with Fellaini sacrificed.
However, even the Frenchman couldn’t kick-start the hosts and they were eventually made to pay.
Ben Yedder had only been on the pitch for two minutes after replacing Muriel when he finally broke the deadlock in the tie with a brilliant finish low into De Gea’s bottom left-hand corner.
“Manchester United have experience in the Champions League, it was a special game for us,” said Ben Yedder.
“But I believed in myself, believed in the team and we showed we are a great team.”
Mourinho responded by throwing on Anthony Martial and Juan Mata, but their attacking edge was needed far earlier as Ben Yedder soon put the outcome beyond any doubt when he forced home a corner at the far post despite a despairing effort by De Gea.
Lukaku finally got United on the board six minutes from time when he swept home Marcus Rashford’s corner.
But it was to little avail as United have now failed to reach the quarter-finals for four straight years.