:quality(80)/cdn-kiosk-api.telegraaf.nl/e3bd4ca6-be6f-11eb-95df-02d1dbdc35d1.jpg "Villarreal surprises Manchester United and takes Europa League after scorching penalty series | Football")
sport">In the unprecedentedly exciting penalty shootout series, goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli from Villarreal became the great hero. The Argentinian first hit the eleventh penalty of his team, after which he turned the penalty kick from fellow goalkeeper David De Gea. In total, 22 penalties were taken, of which no fewer than 21 were hit.
Win Villarreal setback for PSV
sport">PSV mourns United, because Villarreal’s win ensures that the Eindhoven team has to complete an extra preliminary round in the Champions League. If the Mancunians had won, who had already qualified for the new edition of the champions ball via the competition, UEFA would have pushed the starting tickets considerably and PSV would have started in the third heat.
David de Gea (L) fails from eleven meters.
Ⓒ AFP
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sport">That would not only have meant some extra holiday, but also a guarantee for European football next season, because the losers in the third heat will move on to the group stage of the Europa League. This does not apply to the losers in the second heat, in which PSV can meet teams such as Galatasaray and FC Midtjylland. A slip in the diptych at the end of July means that another play-off for the Europa League has to be completed with all the risks that entails.
Gerard Moreno celebrates his opening goal for Villarreal.
Ⓒ EPA
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Ajax
sport">Manchester United, which did win the Europa League at the expense of Ajax four years ago, disappointed heavily in the final. There were still such good omens for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who is still waiting for the first prize as trainer of the Mancunians. After all, 22 years ago, the Norwegian experienced his finest hour as a Manchester United player on this day. Solskjaer and his teammates, including Jaap Stam, seemed to be heading for a 1-0 defeat in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich, but goals from Teddy Sheringham and Solskjaer in injury time brought United to a spectacular turnaround.
sport">Manchester United was the house-high favorite on paper. The number two in the Premier League has a turnover of 600 million euros, a multiple of the 86 million euros that the Spanish number seven has to do with.
Joy among the players of Manchester United after Edinson Cavani’s equalizer.
Ⓒ Pool via REUTERS
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sport">For Villarreal it was the first European final in club history. ‘The yellow submarine’, as the Spanish nickname is, already made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2005/2006. That team excelled in neat combination football with eye-catchers such as Juan Roman Riquelme and Diego Forlan, but the current Villarreal did not win the beauty prize in the final in Gdansk, with almost ten thousand fans in the stands. The Spaniards built a wall in front of goal and let Manchester United make the game. Ideal for this way of playing was that Villarreal immediately hit the target with the first chance. A free kick by Dani Parejo was promoted to goal by striker Gerard Moreno, who is included in the Spanish European Championship selection.
Paul pogba
Ⓒ Pool via REUTERS
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Donny van de Beek
sport">Manchester United started a stampede on the Spanish goal, but the English, with whom Donny van de Beek remained on the bench, lacked some ingenuity to create opportunities. Only in the second half there was finally a hole for the Uruguayan goaltender Edinson Cavani. The wait seemed to be for the Mancunians’ winning goal, but Villarreal dragged an extension out of the fire. It turned out that the pipe was empty at United, so that the fitter Villarreal could start the penalties with a positive feeling. The Spaniards kept a cool head, so that the first European final in club history immediately resulted in the first European main prize for Villarreal. And as a result of which trainer Unai Emery was able to add his fourth Europa League win after the three previous successes with FC Sevilla.
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