Show key events only
Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature
Show key events only
Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature
71 min Lovely form Bruno, sliding a cunning ball between two defenders and in behind for Dorgu, whose cross is blocked behind; the corner yields another.
70 min Hojlund out to Garnacho, who cuts back; a defender gets a touch, Hojlund picks up, and shoots … but hits another defender, though I think the ball was going wide.
69 min Dorgu wriggles away from Elustondo, who yanks him back by the waist and is booked.
68 min “Gayfield,” says Simon McMahon, “home of Arbroath FC, is often cited as the coldest ground in Scotland, backing as it does on to the North Sea, from where actual spray can reach the terraces and combine with ice cold wind, rain and haar to provide a unique ‘experience’. Makes most other grounds in the UK resemble Madrid in high summer.”
Take me there now. And haar, I’ve learnt a new word.
The balmy climes of Gayfield Park. Photograph: Colin McPherson/Getty Images
67 min Dorgu has been very good tonight – he’s exactly the, er, profile of player needed for the position, a one-man flank who can cover up and down, win balls in the air, win tackles, and attack. It’s early days, of course, but he looks a very good fit.
66 min Now Garnacho gets away, and he’s got men in the box but should shoot; he cuts back for Dorgu, whose shot form the edge is blocked.
65 min Fernandes chips in the free-kick, it’s headed away, and De Ligt hammers over the bar.
64 min VAR wants a look, but upholds the call, then Oyarzabal is booked for whinging.
63 min Nice from Hojlund, who holds up then sets back for Zirkzee, who plays a lovely ball in behind for Dorgu, who bursts on to it and he’s in! Aguerd might get across, but I’d not back him, so when Aramburu, who only came on eight minutes ago, hauls him down, it’s not surprise to see the ref reach for his top pocket. A goal up and a man up, how will United manage to united this up?
Jon Aramburu is shown a red card by referee Benoit Bastien! Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters
62 min At Spurs, AZ have scored to level the tie at 2-2 on aggregate.
61 min And look at Dalot doing his best, hoping to shepherd a ball into touch only to be caught by Barrenetxea, whose cross is blocked behind by Casemiro. He’s played well tonight.
61 min Sociedad have lost their way here, but they needn’t worry – I’m sure United will find a way of gifting them a goal soon enough.
59 min “Coldest I’ve felt was at Oldham Athletic v Newcastle United in the Check-a-Trade in November 2017. The chairman handed out free hot pies to the 50-odd away fans in a very kind gesture. I held mine for at least 25 minutes to keep my hands warm.”
That makes a lot of sense: the pies at Old Trafford can scald your tongue clean out.
58 min Hojlund’s off-the-ball work, by the way, has been very good tonight – passes are missing him by fractions and, as I speak, a lovely disguised flick around the corner from Zirkzee sets Hojlund at Zubimendi, now at centre-back. It’s a mismatch really and the striker muscles past on the outside, then looks to scud a low shot towards the near post … but it’s just wide.
56 min Excellent from, Garnacho, who reads Remiro’s pass to Aguerd, slides in, intercepts superbly … and picks out the keeper with his attempted tee-up of Hojlund.
55 min Tripe change for Sociedad: off go Zubeldia, becker and Marin, on come Turrientes, Brrenetxea and Aramburu.
54 min Patrucxk Dorgu is a player. A long ball from Heaven for Dorgu, who easily shucks off Elustodo, but with Fernandes beseeching him for the pull-back, he instead goes square for Hojlund and Remiro dives to intercept.
53 min “Inter-Chievo, 15th of December 2001,” reckons Warren O’Toole.” Inter frontline of Vieri, Recoba, and the Real Ronaldo, just back from injury. Minus ten degrees, couldn’t take off your gloves without your hands seizing up.And yet, the chant-caller in the San Siro had no top on, presumably keeping the cold out with chemical assistance! Inter lost 2-1, Vieri had an open goal when they were drawing and tried to tee up Ronaldo as a crowd-pleaser, but he duly dinked it wide. As some consolation, I met a young Adriano on the streets of Milan the day after, with his Dad, a jolly old guy with a huge gold medallion.”
52 min Zubimendi is booked for something, but it’s not clear what.
51 min Back to Spurs, Scott Murray has all the latest developments.
Of course he can! Again, he waits, but he doesn’t jump, instead rolling right once the keeper moves left.
Bruno Fernandes is the man on the spot and United lead. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images
49 min VAR wants a look: did Dorgu run into Elustondo on purpose? I think the defender didn’t quite stand his ground, he moved forward, so I think this decision will stand … and indeed it does. Can Fernandes hold his nerve again?
48 min First, Hojlund lays back to Zirkzee, whose shot is saved, then Dorgu shoves it past Elustondo and the two collide; the ref has a look, allows play to continue, then points to the spot.
Patrick Dorgu goes down in the box. Penalty! Photograph: Darren Staples/AFP/Getty Images
47 min Spurs now lead AZ 2-0 on the night and 2-1 on aggregate BUT EXCUSE ME WHILE I INTERRUPT MYSELF!
46 min Lovely footwork from Zirkzee in centrefield, and it may be that the 11th best team in his level, or it may be that actually, last season’s second-top scorer in Serie A and Dutch international can actually play a bit and just needed a bit of time to settle.
46 min We go again. More of the same, please, boys.
“Cold? Cold?” asks Keiron Reay. “It was December, probably ’85 or ‘86. The journey to watch Exeter City at Burnley was life-threatening due to the blizzard. Stood there for the two hours in the vast, icy concrete of the Burnley stadium.
The snow kept on piling up and up, eventually reaching halfway up my shins. Nearly couldn’t move at the final whistle.”
I take so much pleasure in the players being cold. I’m a terrible person.
I meant to say at the time that, when facing a penalty, Andre Onana has developed a habit of launching himself at one corner roughly 17 minutes before the kick is actually taken. Amazingly, it’s not going well for him.
Half-time email: “Coldest game ever,” says Nicholas Alvarez. “Freezing fog at the FA Cup 3rd round replay, York City v Arsenal, January 1975. Brian Kidd scored a hat-trick, two goals in extra-time. My feet were numb in my shoes and my jaw was aching from the shivering.”
That’s what I’m talking about.
Elsewhere:
A really entertaining half. Sociedad started superbly but United responded well. They’ve been the better side, but the visitors look dangerous when they go forward.
45+3 min The ball bounces about inside the United box, Casemiro, Heaven and Mazraoui all trying to force clear before Casemiro blocks a shot behind. Heaven then heads the corner away, and that’s the first half almost done.
45 min We’ll have four additional minutes, we seems stingy given how long it took to award both penalties. Anyhow, lovely, driven pass crossfield from Casemiro, but Zirkzee’s touch is off. Oh and then Casemiro goes again, lifting over the top for Fernandes, right side of the box, and he tries to touch Hojlund in … but the big Dane is on his heels.
45 min Sociedad get Zubimendi on the ball in the box and Casemiro slides in … winning the ball, then Heaven wins the goalkick. That could’ve gone very wrong.
43 min Nice chest-down from Fernandes who spreads to Dorgu, driving forward. Hojlund’s run takes the man away and though he also wants a pass, United lack players willing to take responsibility, so the eventuating shot makes sense, it’s just straight at Remiro.
43 min Kubo goes at Heaven down the outside, who stands up to him physically, knocks the ball behind, and is rewarded with an incorrectly awarded goalkick.
42 min A little earlier we discussed Amorim’s coaching chops; well, the performances we’re seeing tonight from Zirkzee and Hojlund, though not world-beating, show they’ve listened and learnt. Meantime, United win a free-kick that Fernandes will swerve in … or paste over the bar for no apparent reason/
Ruben Amorim is getting a tune out of his forward line tonight. Ish. Photograph: Dave Thompson/AP
41 min Nie from Zirkzee again, controlling well, running across two men and sliding through for Hojlund … but Aguerd makes the tackle and the whistle then goes for a foul.
40 min Fernandes sends the corner flat towards Dorgu on the edge of the box, and he volleys … just over the bar.
39 min united keep it well, then Dalot sends it down the side for Garnacho, whose cross is blocked behind by Aguerd; Marin is then booked for I’m not sure what.
38 min Excellent from Casemiro, flicking up to himself before finding Fernandes, whose lovely touch allows hi to set Garnacho away … but Elustondo makes a good challenge.
37 min gosh, Heaven has some composure: under pressure inside his own box, he sways and eases back to Onana when he might easily have panicked. I’ve no idea if he’s good enough for the top level, but he definitely believes he is, and that’s a good chunk of the battle.
35 min On Zirkzee, I’m not sure he has the physicality to excel in the Prem, but his touch and imagination are lovely. If he can take a bit more responsibility – he seems more eager to pass or dummy than to shoot – he’s a chance of developing into a useful squad player.
33 min “That Hojlund ‘foul’ is now the way,” writes Philip Haran. |A forward lifts his hands, touches the defender and it’s a foul but a defender can push an attacker over and it’s ok.”
I think that’s always been the way – even when attackers had more scope to get handsy, defenders were given more leeway. My sense is we’re trying to preserve the rarity of goals, so the game tends to side with defenders and keeprs.
31 min Now Sociedad sweep forward, Becker crossing low from the left … and United clearing. This is a really fun contest, the 11th-best team in Spain the rough equivalent of the 14th-best team in England.
30 min United are doing an unusually reasonable job of keeping possession and progressing the ball getting it forward. They find Zirkzee down the left side of the box, he totally diddles Elustondo on the outside, stands up the next man, and crosses low for Hojlund, making another good run and flicking across goal … and just wide of the far post.
Rasmus Hojlund goes close for United. Photograph: Darren Staples/AFP/Getty Images
29 min In north London, Spurs lead AZ 1-0 on the night, so it’s 1-1 on aggregate. Join Scott Murray for all the fun.
27 min Heaven plays Caemiro a ball he doesn’t want but the return is way too hard and forces the young defender to concede a corner. Which goes shot, Kubo allowed to mooch along the by-line and he’s opened a shooting lane … but fires straight at Onana.
26 min Er, is this an engaging game of football featuring … Manchester United? I cannot believe what I’m seeing, dear reader.
24 min Fernandes’ delivery is good – he’s got so much better at that in recent weeks – and Zirkzee makes first contact, only for Zubimendi to thigh then kick away … and Oyarzabal is one on one with Dorgu, who makes a terrific and important challenge.
23 min A lovely touch around the corner form Hojlund gets United going again, Dorgu oozes down the left, stands up a cross, and a fine touch from the defenders, Munoz i think, takes it away from Dalot, Garnacho eventually winning a corner.
21 min Hojlund is into this. he isolates Zubeldia down thevleft, brushes him off … and the ref appraises a foul for an arm to the phizog. Harsh, I think, but either way, we’re seeing Hojlund do much more of the stuff he’s there to do.
20 min “It might have been unlucky for De Ligt to clip the Real player in the process of clearing the ball,” offers Andy Flintoff, “but maybe a better positioned defender wouldn’t have had to stretch to make the clearance in the first place.”
I agree. I’d need to see it again, but generally speaking I was staggered United let Ten Hag sign him given they already had a centre-back with no recovery pace in Lisandro Martinez, and I’ve seen little to make me change that opinion – though a defender who goes up for set-pieces looking to force the issue makes a change.
19 min Fair play to United, they started in their usual abysmal style, but they’ve been good since conceding and, as I type, Fernandes turns nicely around the corner for Dalot, flips the return to the back post, and Remiro does well, punching clear and nailing Hojlund too, then Casemiro shoots wide.
18 min Zubeldia by the way, was booked for his tackle – and so too was De Ligt.
A delay, a leap, and a tap into the bottom-left.
The captain makes sure. Game on! Photograph: Jan Kruger/UEFA/Getty Images
14 min United have woken up! Lovely ball from Casemiro, over the top to Bruno, who bursts into the box, squares to Hojlund – brave move – and from behind, Zubeldia slides in to impede him as he shoots. He should’ve scored, but he’ll take what he’s got, and does now seem to be making the right runs.
Rasmus Hojlund is clipped in the box. Penalty! Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters
1 of 2
