Manchester United 4-1 Real Betis: United bounce back with victory in the Europa League

After the horrors of Anfield and a day that will never be forgotten, Erik ten Hag would have taken this. Like the first glass of water to calm the hangover, Manchester United’s recovery has begun.

Ten Hag’s United team just needed to win here. He of all people did not deserve what his players served up for him in losing 7-0 at the home of the greatest enemy of all at the weekend. So a big score and a statement performance would have been perfect back here on home ground. United provided the first if not quite the second. For a time after Real Betis equalised late in the first half, United looked vaguely uncertain. The Spanish team also hit the post during that period.

But a win by three goals was good enough and it was also ultimately deserved. United were the better team by a distance in the second half and for a spell played very well indeed. Two goals before the hour and a late one from the ever willing Wout Weghorst mean they will head to Spain for next week’s second leg almost certain of a place in the next round of a competition they have every right to think they can win.

There was redemption of sorts here for United captain Bruno Fernandes too. The Portuguese had a dreadful day at Anfield but scored a goal here and was influential in the right way. He was booked for a late second-half challenge on Betis goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and briefly it looked as though it may have been a red card offence. But replays showed Fernandes trying to pull his foot away as he realised he was about to make contact with the former Manchester City goalkeeper and it was this that probably saved him.

So in the end it was a good night for the people who mattered. Marcus Rashford scored United’s first goal, his 26th of the season. The United forward shows no sign of slowing down. The Brazilian Antony scored the most important goal of the night, his team’s second, and also the best one. Weghorst, meanwhile, plays every game as though it’s his last and he celebrated his first Old Trafford goal as though he had waited all his life for it.

Manchester United got back to winning ways with a 4-1 win over Real Betis in their Europa League last-16 first leg clash 

Marcus Rashford opened the scoring at Old Trafford after just six minutes as United went on to win the game 4-1 

Wout Weghorst added the fourth goal with his first strike in eleven games and his first-ever goal for United at Old Trafford 

As the game reached its denouement, there was some disorder involving the Betis supporters high up in the corner. For five minutes or so, missiles appeared to be thrown. Eventually a line of police was required.

It may have stemmed from frustration. Their team – fifth currently in LaLiga – had been well in the game at half-time. By the hour they were out of it.

Early on, United – an identical XI to the one that started at Liverpool – were eager and quickly in to their stride.

They survived a nervous moment inside their own penalty area as an overhit Diogo Dalot back pass caused some alarm for goalkeeper David de Gea. But from there United swept upfield hungrily and when Fernandes crossed towards Rashford, Betis defender Luiz Felipe could not clear properly and the United forward took a touch, moved inside and lashed yet another goal high in to the net above Bravo.

United needed that, it seemed. But what they also needed was to build on a perfect start. What they actually did, slowly and over the course of the first half, was regress and essentially invite the Spanish team back in to the game.

For a while United did continue to press. There were some half chances but just after the half hour one Betis break threatened to change the whole game. Juanmi it was who took possession of the ball on the left with what looked suspiciously like a handball and the Spaniard’s chipped diagonal pass found Ayoze Perez in space on the right. A low cross seemed the most likely option but instead a player on loan from Leicester struck the ball with the outside of his right foot and it found the far corner of De Gea’s net with some help from the bottom of the post.

It was a superb goal and just before half-time Betis almost had another. De Gea played a clearance straight to Juanmi under no pressure and when the ball was shifted to Perez his shot was deflected by Luke Shaw and on to the far post.

Perhaps it was inevitable that this game would have a twist like this. Ten Hag had doubtless chosen the same team for a reason and when the test arrived they just about passed it.

On-loan Leicester City star Ayoze Perez did briefly get the Spanish side back into the game by equalising before the break 

Antony’s curling effort just six minutes after the break set United on their way to a win that they’ll take to Spain next week 

The early minutes of the second half were nervy but when Antony received a pass from Fernandes and curled a left foot shot beyond Bravo and in to the far corner in the 52nd minute the tension broke. It was a superb goal from a gifted if inconsistent player and it gave United the confidence to go and kill the game without inhibition.

Fernandes beat Bravo with a header from a corner that should have been saved soon after and then after a flurry of opportunities were not taken –  including chances for Antony laid on by Fernandes and Weghorst in turn – the Dutchman lashed in the fourth from ten yards with only a matter of minutes remaining.

Despite the evidence of last weekend, this is a United team that does not generally lack for character. If they don’t push on from here it will be a surprise.