Rasmus Hojlund did something Alejandro Garnacho couldn't to show why Man United attack doesn't work
A Manchester United away end drenched in south coast sunshine celebrated Rasmus Hojlund's injury-time equaliser by singing about future ambitions. This was a game to be ticked over and in salvaging a point from what had looked like being another desperate day, they did so without the humiliation of a 16th Premier League defeat.
Until Hojlund got a goal that could prove vital in the context of his own season, this had been another afternoon of toil for Ruben Amorim's side. They benefited from the red card shown to Evanilson midway through the second half to generate a head of steam, finally, but when it was 11 vs 11 they looked the inferior team.
They will at least head to the Basque Country with a striker back in the hunt for goals. Hojlund's equaliser was an opportunistic goal, poking Manuel Ugarte's shot past Kepa Arrizabalaga. Until then, it had been an afternoon of frustration once again for the Dane.
The United fans had begun the afternoon by belting out their Europa League anthem for the season. 'For United are going to Bilbao' has been gaining traction recently and this week they will do exactly that, although the true meaning of the song is that they will return there for the Europa League final.
They have certainly saved their best performances for Europe, where the slower pace of the games has been as much a help as the inferior standard of opposition. Playing second legs at Old Trafford has also been a significant advantage, one that will be repeated against Athletic Club.
But having seen off Real Sociedad and Lyon in the knockout stages, they will need to raise their game to beat the Basque side who sit a comfortable fourth and boast the best defensive record in Spain. They have the added motivation of