EVENING ALL, WELCOME to our live coverage of the 2020/21 Europa League final. 

The stage is Gdansk and the stakes are obvious: Can Ole Gunnar Solskjaer win his first piece of silverware as Manchester United manager? Or can this competition’s specialist Unai Emery lift Villarreal to their first-ever victory in this competition? 

United dropped into this competition as a result of the implosion of their Champions League campaign, but have been imperious in Europe since, and it is in this competition that Solskjaer has finally hurdled his long-standing issue with semi-finals. 

His side have made a lot of progress this season – they finished closer to the top of the Premier League than at any other point in the post-Ferguson era – and can mint it all tonight with a first trophy in four years.

Villarreal, meanwhile, are chasing history: the only silverware they’ve won in their history are a pair of Intertoto Cups and the Spanish third division. In Unai Emery they could hardly have a better manager for that specific task, as he returns to this final for the fifth time in the last eight years. 

Get in touch with us during the course of our coverage: you can drop a comment below the line, or email me at gavincooney@the42.ie. 

Kick off is at 8pm, and team news follows next. 

Team News 

Villarreal 

Gerónimo Rulli isn’t Villarreal’s first-choice goalkeeper for La Liga games, but he has played throughout this competition and Emery keeps faith with him tonight. We think it will be closer to a 4-4-2: Gerardo Moreno and Carlos Bacca should have enough to cause problems. 

Premier League fans will remember a couple of Tottenham players – Juan Foyth (outstanding in the semi-final first leg against Arsenal) and Etienne Capoue. 

Manchester United 

Solskjaer means to attack. Paul Pogba is named in midfield, with a front four of Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Mason Greenwood, and Edinson Cavani. That might leave Scott McTominay with quite a bit of work to do, and is perhaps a risk on Solskjaer’s part. 

David De Gea is preferred in goal, Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof are the central defensive partnership. Harry Maguire is named on the bench but won’t play through injury. Maybe it’s to better justify any full-kit John Terry act if United go on to win. 

Substitutes 

Solskjaer tells BT Sport that Fred has been injured in the build-up to this final, though did train last night. Perhaps he would have started otherwise. 

As Solskjaer has spoken about in the build-up to this game, 26 May is a day of significance in the history of Manchester United. It’s Matt Busby’s birthday, and was the date of a certain European final…

If Ireland fans want a reminder of the Gdansk Stadium, by the way: 

Donall Farmer / INPHO Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO

Just over 10 minutes to kick off in Gdansk.

There are, mercifully, a smattering of fans inside the stadium tonight. 

Given the 25% attendance, tickets are pretty precious – but Wayne Rooney and his son have just been spotted at the game. 

Okay, the teams are in the tunnel, so we’re almost ready to go in Gdansk! 

Our referee tonight is Clément Turpin of France. 

Villarreal are seeking a prize beyond just the trophy tonight: a win will put them in the Champions League next season, but a defeat will send them to the inaugural Europa Conference League. 

Peeeeep! 

We are underway! 

United starting with Pogba alongside McTominay in midfield, as expected. It’s a 4-4-2 for Villarreal, with Bacca and Moreno leading the line. 

Villarreal are sitting deep, in two banks of four, and inviting United to try and pick their way through. Some very neat switches of play from Pogba already shows the advantages of having him deep. 

United yet to create a chance, mind. 

McTominay strikes wide from distance! 

Pau Torres got in a muddle with Cavani on the edge of the box and lost the ball to Rashford, who jinked dangerously into he box before rolling it back for McTominay, but his shot screws wide of Rulli’s right-hand post. 

Juan Foyth is down in a heap, blood streaming down his face. He clumsily tripped over the ball, collided with Pogba, and then seems to have been hurt on impact with the falling Pogba. 

This hasn’t exactly been a sure-footed start for Unai Emery’s side, in more ways than one. 

United are hounding Villarreal out of possession, and they do not look at all comfortable trying to break the press. 

Goalkeeper Rulli swipes at a ball which gives possession back to United, and Pogba dinks a delightful ball over the defence for Greenwood who forces a corner off Capoue. 

Villarreal clear the corner, but they are already soaking up a lot of pressure. They have hardly crossed the halfway line. 

Juan Foyth walks among us once again, with a new shirt and a bandage wrapped around his head. Opta stats show those head bandages usually yield a 55-60% performance increase for defenders. 

Villarreal finally get out of their half, and Pedraza forces a corner off Wan-Bissaka. Which they are taking an age to take… 

They eventually worked it nicely, a short corner then whipped tot he back post for the onrushing – and unmarked – Trigueros, but he can’t control his first-time effort and it flies miles over the crossbar. 

Foyth is bandaged up but there are still great bales of blood pouring from his nose. 

And now Foyth is off the pitch again, as the medical team try and stem the bleeding. 

Shaw sees a fizzed cross skip past everyone and fly wide of the far post. It arrived to him as Albiol did brilliantly to head a Wan-Bissaka cross clear. 

United are utterly dominant here, with Villarreal happy to put 11 men behind the ball. 

Villarreal win a free-kick in the middle of the pitch, flight in long and win a corner off Eric Bailly. And again they could hardly be less urgent in taking it…

McTominay heads the corner clear and then rushes out to block a follow-up volley from Pino. Another corner incoming from the other side. 

United clear the corner, but it arrives back instantly, with Rashford and Bailly contriving to make a mess of the clearance. The ball breaks for Baccca, who takes it to the byline and pulls off a gorgeous rabona cross, which Moreno regrettably heads over. 

United get a sight of goal, but Rashford’s long-range drive is right at Rulli. 

Juan Foyth: in the wars. 

PA PA

Again Villarreal sit deep, and United struggle to puncture any holes in their low block. Eventually they flight a ball over the top for Fernandes, but Rulli gathers. 

United are dominant but haven’t been able to get Fernandes on the ball at all yet. 

Pino dribbles forward and beats Bailly – with a little too much ease – but then sends a tame shot spinning wide of De Gea’s right-hand post. 

Edinson Cavani gets a talking-to from the referee, having tracked back and committed his second foul of the night, this time on Parejo. Free-kick for Villarreal….

GOAL! 

Villarreal make the most of the set piece! Gerard Moreno – well onside – gets ahead of Lindelof and steers Parejo’s terrific cross beyond De Gea! 

That goal is against the run of play, but it’s poor defending from United and Victor Lindelof in particular, who completely lost Moreno. 

Villarreal were happy to sit deep at 0-0, so they will be more than happy to continue in that vein now they have something to hold on to. 

Here’s the goal: another for Harry Maguire’s showreel. 

GERARD MORENO! 🟡🟡🟡

Villarreal lead in Gdańsk!#VILMUN | #UELfinal pic.twitter.com/xTA3Ic5zic

— #UELfinal live on Virgin Media Two (@VMSportIE) May 26, 2021

Further to what we were saying earlier about Bruno Fernandes not getting on the ball: he’s just popped up in the left-back position, coming deep and looking for possession. 

A measure of how well United have been frustrated so far. 

Albiol again finds himself in the right place to head away a Wan-Bissaka cross. McTominay then drives into the box but skews his cross into the stands. 

A sign, at least, of more intensity from Manchester United. 

Better from United: Shaw gets to the byline and cuts the ball back, but again Albiol is in the right place to deal with the danger. 

A long, long spell of possession for United involves them passing the ball about in front of Villarreal, but it’s jab, jab, jab with no body shots so far. 

They cannot break their opponents down. 

Fabulous chop by Rashford as he cuts in from the right buys himself some precious space, but his low cross is cleared. 

Much better from Greenwood – head down, he drives for the endline and drills a cross into the six-yard box before he meets it, and the ball bounces goanward off Albiol and is gathered by Rulli before it can cross the line. 

Moreno forces a corner off Bailly, and Villarreal have one last chance before the break…

Half-time

McTominay heads clear, and the referee blows for half time. 

Manchester United have had all the possession but have created little, and are desperately struggling to play through a Villarreal side sitting deep and set up to counter-punch. 

They landed the first blow from a set piece, and United have work to do. We’ll be back shortly. 

Peeeeeeeeep! 

United have an excellent record of coming from behind this season – can they do it one more time?

We’re underway in the second half in Gdansk! 

No changes for either side at the break. 

Bailly flies through the back of Bacca, and United have another free-kick to defend. 

United breathe after a mighty goalmouth scramble! 

The ball breaks for Pedraza, whose cross is not cut out by Bailly’s insane overhead kick effort, but Bacca cannot force the ball over the line and, eventually, United get the ball clear! 

Better from United, interplay with Greenwood and Fernandes gives Wan-Bissaka space on the right, and his low cross is cleared by – who else? – Albiol. 

Villarreal survive a VAR check for a penalty area. Greenwood was left writhing in the penalty area as he and Pedraza challenged for a through ball from Fernandes. The referral’s said Pedraza got the ball, and the video review deems him not to have been sufficiently wrong. 

Capoue is booked for a cynical drag on Fernandes’ shoulder, and now United have a chance to trouble Villarreal in an almost identical spot from where the Spanish side scored… 

The ball finds its way to McTominay, and his shot is blocked for a corner. 

GOAL! 

United equalise! Edinson Cavani! 

Shaw’s corner was half-cleared and volleyed back by Rashford, the ball took a mighty deflection and broke for Cavani, who stroked the ball home from six yards! 

And after a lengthy VAR confirmation, the goal stands! 

Fernandes drives wide! 

United are motoring now. Shaw flicks a header downward for McTominay, who misses his shot but finds Fernandes, and he flashes a shot wide that just evades Cavani’s touch. 

Here is Cavani’s equaliser: 

CAVANI! 🔴⚫️

He strikes again in Europe! #VILMUN | #UELfinal pic.twitter.com/cswUxwfNn4

— #UELfinal live on Virgin Media Two (@VMSportIE) May 26, 2021

A typical Emery substution: off goes Bacca and on comes Francis Coquelin. Villarreal go to a 4-5-1, with a beefed-up midfield and Moreno now alone up front. 

Cavani is screaming for a penalty as a Fernandes cross hits Torres, but the referee says no penalty. 

There is a lot more pace and conviction about United’s play now, however. 

“Attack, attack, attack” scream the United fans at the game. The United pressure is relentless at the moment, as Villarreal hurl themselves at everything they can, the latest being a McTominay shot. 

Fernandes goes down under a pretty slight touch from Capoue, but the referee gives a free-kick and United have another chance to threaten. 

Villarreal survive in the sense they have hoiked the ball clear, but United have the ball back already. They continue to offer nothing going forward. 

Rashford misses a sitter! 

Cavani sends Fernandes behind the Villarreal defence – he may have been offside – but picks out Rashford unmarked in front of the penalty spot, but he side-foots the ball wide! 

Do not be alarmed…but Villarreal have had a shot! 

It was Dani Parejo from distance, and he scuffed it and saw it trickle a mile wide. 

This game is loose now, which does not suit Villarreal. Shaw breaks into the box, tries a right-footed shot that’s so wide it ends up being a great cross for Cavani, who meets it with a header that’s blocked by Pau Torres. 

Fernandes was anonymous in the first half but he is much more to the fore in this half, and drifting into space behind the Villarreal midfield, knitting play with Greenwood to provide space for Wan-Bissaka down the right. 

It’s clever play from United, but on that occasion, the full-back’s cross was too close to the goalkeeper. 

Solskjaer pleads for calm as Pogba shanks a cross-field pass out of play. 

Wan-Bissaka matches the run of Pedraza down the left and concedes a corner. Villarreal might get vertigo as they troop forward for it. 

Pogba clears the corner, Trigueros sees his shot blocked and loop behind for another corner. 

Emery is about to send on a striker: Paco Alcacer. But not before another Parejo corner… 

Villarreal waste the corner.

Double change: Pino comes off for Alcacer, as Trigueros goes for Moi Gomes. 

McTominay drives into the box again, and his low cross from the byline for Cavani is blocked by Albiol. 

Another United corner.. 

Villarreal half clear but United’s press is excellent, first Pogba and then Rashford win the ball back until eventually the cross is too close to Rulli. 

Alacaer’s first involvement is to foul Bailly, and Villarreal really do look painfully blunt. 

Pogba gives the ball away – not for the first time – and Villarreal clear the ball first time for Alcacer, who falls to the ground clutching his face colliding with Bailly. Referee says free-kick, and Bailly is booked. 

Parejo has a chance to deliver a free-kick about 10 yards inside United’s half. 

And he floats it right into De Gea’s arms. 

Shaw overlaps on Rashford, spins a first-time cross into the box which is met by both Cavani and Greenwood and is fired wide. 

The referee however, has given a free for a foul on Shaw: Foyth flew into a challenge and caught the England defender on his calf. Foyth is booked, and United have another dangerous set piece. 

Fernandes’ cross went to the back post, where Lindelof tried to meet it with an overhead kick. 

It, eh, didn’t work. 

A double change for Villarreal – Mario Gaspar and former Liverpool defender Alberto Moreno are coming on! Pedraza and what’s left of Foyth make way. 

Five changes now for Villarreal, United yet to make any. 

Pogba arrives late into the box but heads a floating Shaw cross over the bar. 

That move began with McTominay driving forward yet again: he has been absolutely superb for United, particularly in the second half.

Three added minutes at the end of the second half, and three minutes for United to find the winner they deserve and spare us all another half an hour of Unai Emery’s Villarreal. 

Villarreal win another free kick over the halfway line, and it ends in Torres – in quite a bit of space in the Untied box – slicing a shot over the crossbar. 

Alberto Moreno bites into a couple of challenges on Greenwood and wins a throw in. 

And that is it. 

Cavani equalised, United dominated, but they are still low on clear-cut chances created and so we go to extra time in Gdansk! 

We are underway in extra time! 

And there have been no changes for either side. So, there has still been no changes from Solskjaer. Emery made five in the 90 minutes and gets an added one in extra time. 

Fernandes feints and pulls the ball onto his right foot to take a shot, but it’s blocked by Raul Albiol. For all my sniffiness about Villarreal’s approach, he has been superb tonight. 

“What Villarreal do have is European know-how”, says the BT Commentator. 

Judging by this spectacle, they won’t be hanging European Know-How in the Tate. 

Better from Villarreal, as they press up and win the ball off Fernandes. Gerard Moreno picks a good pass into the box to the feet of Alcacer, but United ultimately deal with the danger. 

Villarreal, in fairness, are now pushing up a bit and passing the ball around a bit. As they should: they have made five substitutions and United haven’t made any! 

Parejo lofts a cross to the back post for Gerard Moreno, which he angles wide under pressure from Shaw. 

Villarreal the better side now. They push up on a De Gea goal kick, and thus the United keeper gives them possession. 

They work the ball to the left flank, and Alberto Moreno skews a shot wide of the near post. 

More high pressure for Villarreal yields a good chance, as they win the ball high and thread it into Alcacer in space in the box, but he shanks his shot over the crossbar. 

Solskjaer finally makes his change: Greenwood goes for Fred. Pogba will go left of the attack and Rashford to the right. 

Bailly – already booked – fouls Coquelin down Villarreal’s left. They have been so much better in this first half of extra time. Can they mint that improvement? 

Parejo’s delivery is tipped behind for a corner by De Gea. 

United clear the corner and suddenly have a chance to counter, but Capoue is brilliantly positioned in his own half to sweep across to his left and cut out a pass that would have sent Rashford through one-on-one. 

One added minute at the end of this half. 

And there’s the break. 

Villarreal were far more proactive in that half of extra time, pushing high and controlling the game. United, by contrast, created nothing in those 15 minutes. 

And we are back underway! 

Fred is pinged for a foul on Coquelin, and here comes another of those Parejo iron shots…

…and again this one is right into David De Gea’s arms. 

Again Villarreal are playing higher up the field, and if anyone can be said to be settling for penalties at the moment, it’s United. 

Lengthy stoppage as Rashford is treated for a knock, but Gareth Southgate can breathe easy, he is back on. 

Brilliant, again, by Scott McTominay, tracking back to dispossess Alcacer just as he was about to shoot in the penalty area. He has been United’s best player. 

Comedy stuff from Lindelof, as he thwacks a six-yard clearance into a Villarreal player, but United manage to survive a flurry of shots, the last of which hit Fred on the hand, but it’s deemed no penalty after a VAR check. 

McTominay, meanwhile, is on the ground now, with Cavani booked for remonstrating over the incident which put him there: Alberto Moreno clattering into him after the ball had gone. 

Double change for United: Bailly makes way for Axel Tuanzebe, with Daniel James on for Paul Pogba. 

Boy is this game fizzling out now. 

Shaw is the latest to be stretched out on the turf, he seems to be clutching his ribs after a challenge with Coquelin. 

Shaw is back on, and looking grand. 

This game is heading for penalties. 

We have three more minutes of this: that’s the stoppage time in extra time. 

United are trying to get Juan Mata and Alex Telles on – two players with good penalty records – but need the ball to go out of play sharpish. 

Tuanzebe plays ball – he blasts the ball into the stand. 

And the subs are made: McTominay and Wan-Bissaka make way for Mata and Alex Telles. 

Full time in extra time 

It finishes 1-1, and we head for penalties. 

United offered nothing in extra time, with Villarreal the better side, their subs bringing more energy and casting some unforgiving light on Solskjaer’s in-game management. 

It has been an utterly desperate game, but will be decided by the drama of spot kicks. 

Stay with us… 

Albiol wins the toss, we head to the end in front of Villarreal fans for the shootout. 

Villarreal to take first…

Gerard Moreno first up for Villarreal….and scores!

Villarreal 1

Manchester United 0

Juan Mata is first up for United…and curls a perfect spot kick into the left-hand corner! 

Villarreal 1

Manchester United 1

Villarreal’s late sub Raba is next up….and he scores! 

Villarreal 2

Man United 1 

GOAL! 

Alcacer just squeezes his penalty beneath De Gea! 

Villarreal 3 

Manchester United 2 

GOAL! 

Bruno Fernandes scores! Again the goalkeeper gets close, he got a hand to it and should have kept it out! 

Villarreal 3 

Manchester United 3

GOAL! 

Alberto Moreno steps up and makes no mistake, and is the first player from either side to send his penalty to the keeper’s left! 

Villarreal 4 

Man United 3 

GOAL!

Rashford steps up and makes no mistake! 

Villarreal 4 

Man United 4 

GOAL!

Dani Parejo makes scores his spot kick! All five scored from Villarreal, so it’s all on this for United to hang on in there…

Villarreal 5

Man United 4 

GOAL!

Edinson Cavani buries his spot kick! 

We go on to sudden death…

Villarreal 5 

Man United 5

GOAL!

Gomez up for Villarreal, and blasts it right down the middle! 

Villarreal 6 

Man United 5 

GOAL!

Fred takes a lengthy run up but buries it to the keeper’s left! Nobody has missed yet!

Villarreal 6 

Man United 6

GOAL! 

Raul Albiol – brilliant tonight – strokes the ball coolly beyond De Gea, and then gestures to the crowd. Pressure back to United…will they blink? 

Villarreal 7 

Man United 6 

GOAL! 

Daniel James doesn’t blink, and that’s all 14 penalties scored at this point. 

Villarreal 7 

Man United 7 

GOAL! 

Francis Coquelin hits the best pen we have seen so far – side foots it into the very top right-hand corner. Back on United…

Villarreal 8 

Man United 7 

GOAL! 

Oh my: Rulli has his head in his hands, as he allows Luke Shaw’s penalty pass beneath him and in. This is still happening! 

Villarreal 8 

Man United 8

GOAL! 

Goodness me, now Mario Gasper scores! We are close to getting to the keepers kicking now… 

Villarreal 9 

Man United 8 

GOAL! 

Axel Tuanzebe steps up and slots it home. This is daft. 

Villarreal 9 

Man United 9 

GOAL!

De Gea makes Pau Torres wait before he takes his…but he sticks it in the top corner! This its an exhibition. 

Villarreal 10 

Man United 9 

GOAL! 

Victor Lindelof is up…and scores! We head for the keepers! All 20 pens have gone in!

Villarreal 10 

Man United 10

GOAL! 

Rulli can’t save penalties..but he can score them! Can we say the same about De Gea!? 

Villarreal 11 

Man United 10 

MISS! 

De Gea’s penalty is saved by Rillo, and Villarreal win the Europa League! 

Villarreal win 11-10 on penalties 

Heartbreak for Manchester United, who are beaten in an utterly mad penalty shootout. 

They ultimately did not do enough across 120 minutes to win, however, and looked very leggy in extra time as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did not make a substitution in the whole 90 minutes. 

A historic night for Villarreal, and a bad end for United, whose four-year trophy drought goes on. 

Thanks for following this marathon blog – we got through it together. 

Bye!