Twitter explodes as Cristiano Ronaldo and Alejandro Garnacho combine to lead Manchester United to 1-0 win against Real Sociedad

Manchester United secured a 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad in the Europa League but Cristiano Ronaldo and co have had to settle for second place in Group E.

Erik ten Hag picked an unfamiliar lineup for the clash at the Reale Arena, which included a first start for Donny van de Beek with Marcus Rashford on the bench.

Sociedad made a promising start, but United took the lead in the 17th minute and did so in style.

The Red Devils broke on the counter when Cristiano Ronaldo sent a delightful ball into the path of youngster Alejandro Garnacho.

The 18-year-old Argentinian winger sped forward before he fired a powerful shot past Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro.

Garnacho is now the youngest ever non-English player to score in European football, beating the prior record holder George Best.

The game was an open one with both sides going hammer and tong at one another, especially in the second half.

David de Gea made an incredible double save to preserve United's lead and keep up his good form.

Ten Hag's desperation was on display in the 82nd minute when he sent Harry Maguire on to play as a target man upfront.

There was bedlam in the Sociedad box in the 89th minute when Casemiro couldn't untangle the ball from under his feet before Scott McTominay was denied by Remiro.

It needn't matter as Casemiro was in an offside position but United were desperate for a vital second.

That second didn't arrive and so Ten Hag's men will now head into the playoffs for the last 16 to face a side that finished third in their Champions League group.

Here are some reactions from fans on Twitter to a win for United that almost feels like a defeat:

Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United head to Villa Park to face Aston Villa on 6 November

Next up for Manchester United is a trip to Villa Park to face the Villains, who will be playing their first game under new manager Unai Emery.

United are in impressive form in the league, unbeaten in five games since their 6-3 thrashing away at cross-city rivals Manchester City on 2 October.

Ten Hag's side are fifth in the league with seven wins, two draws, and three defeats in 12 games.

They are well and truly in the hunt for a top-four finish and will be eager to dispatch of a Villa side that have been struggling this season.

The new manager bounce is always a worry for sides that have made a new appointment and Manchester United will be wary of this.

However, Ten Hag's side are improving with each passing game and new signings Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen are standing out.

Cristiano Ronaldo will hope to get back among the goals since he has only managed three goals in 15 appearances across competitions.

About the author

Matthew is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda who has been covering news, rumors and match reports for close to 3 years. Learning creative writing from University of Essex, he combined his skills and passion for football take up writing for the sport professionally.

Matthew always strives to go beyond a story and offer unique and lesser-known insights, while maintaining an unbiased tone in his articles. His reporting exploits at the company have helped him gain a humungous readership of 25 million, with one of his articles raking in a whopping 724,000 reads.

A Manchester United fan since childhood, Matthew admired Sir Alex Ferguson for his loyalty and brave coaching style. His favorite footballer is Thierry Henry, believing the Frenchman to be uniquely talented and charismatic. An ardent Three Lions fan, England's penalty shootout win over Colombia in 2018 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment of all time, and he believes that Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe will have a Ballon d’Or duopoly after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

He also follows his local EFL League Two clubs AFC Wimbledon and Sutton United, and spends his free time watching and writing about professional wrestling. He also likes to work out, watch movies and go for night outs.

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