Match ends, Manchester United 0, Real Sociedad 0.
Shola Shoretire became the youngest player to appear for Manchester United in a European game as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side eased into the last-16 of the Europa League with a goalless draw against Real Sociedad.
At 17 years and 23 days, Newcastle-born Shoretire beat the record of Norman Whiteside by 108 days on a night when January signing Amad Diallo also made his first appearance at Old Trafford.
They were notable milestones on an evening when Bruno Fernandes went closest for the hosts in the opening period as he smashed a lay-off from Fred onto the crossbar.
However, the best chance turned into a miserable failure for visitors' skipper Mikel Oyarzabal.
Presented with the opportunity to give his side an early lead from the penalty spot, Oyarzabal copied Fernandes' distinctive skip as he went to strike the ball and sent it so far wide it almost hit a photographer by the side of the goal.
Daniel James had a header saved by Alejandro Remiro before the break and Marcus Rashford, who took over the captain's armband when he replaced Fernandes at half-time, went close after it.
Axel Tuanzebe thought he had scored his first United goal when he powered in Alex Telles' corner, only for the intervention of the video assistant referee to halt Tuanzebe's celebrations.
Referee Lawrence Visser was advised to watch the incident on a pitchside monitor and judged that Victor Lindelof had committed a foul before the ball reached his fellow centre-back.
It was all rather mundane, with the hosts' four-goal cushion from last week's game in Turin ensuring their place in Friday's draw - when Steven Gerrard and Jose Mourinho are potential opponents for Solskjaer - was never in doubt.
Their victory means there will be four British sides in the Europa League last 16, with Tottenham, Arsenal and Rangers all advancing, although Leicester were eliminated by Slavia Prague.
The draw for the last 16 at 12:00 GMT and the BBC Sport website and app will have live text coverage of the draw.
With no seedings, and no restrictions on sides from the same nation facing each other, the draw could produce an all-Premier League clash.
The eight last-16 ties will be played on 11 and 18 March.
- Thursday's Europa League games as they happened, plus reaction and analysis
- When is the draw for the Europa League last 16?
Shoretire's historic night
Like United coach Michael Carrick, Alan Shearer, Peter Beardsley and former United skipper Steve Bruce, Shoretire was a member of the famous Wallsend Boys Club when he was very young, although his talent was obvious early on and he spent a brief period training with Manchester City before signing permanently with United as a nine-year-old.
After playing in the Youth Cup at 15 - and memorably in a quarter-final against Wigan after spending the whole day in school - it is no wonder United had the terms of Shoretire's professional contract sorted well before the day he signed it on his 17th birthday.
By that point, head of academy Nicky Butt had been part of the decision to push Shoretire into the under-23 set-up to see how he adapted.
The progress has been swift given he now has two first-team appearances to his name after becoming the second youngest player to play in the Premier League for United in their win against Newcastle on 21 February.
"He's a young kid we believe in, a great attitude, you can see the shape of him, physically, he'll be an athlete and technically he is very, very good," said Solskjaer.
"He makes good decisions, we're going to gradually feed him into this team. He's grounded, works hard in training, and is a likeable boy we can see in the future."
With Amad Diallo, the 18-year-old Ivorian, also given his first Old Trafford appearance against Sociedad, Solskjaer will be please to see more talented youngsters emerging at the club where he was tasked with implementing a cultural reboot when he replaced Jose Mourinho as manager in December 2018.
United advance again - the stats
- United have progressed from all five of their last-32 ties in the Europa League (also 2011-12, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2019-20).
- Sociedad have been eliminated from both of their last-32 ties in the Europa League, also exiting the competition at this stage back in 2017-18 versus Red Bull Salzburg.
- United have gone unbeaten in each of their last 15 matches at Old Trafford in the Europa League since a 3-2 defeat by Spanish opponents Athletic Bilbao in March 2012.
- Sociedad are now winless in their four matches with United across all competitions (drew two, lost two), failing to score in each clash.
- Rashford became the first Premier League player to feature in 40 matches in all competitions this season.
- United's Fernandes has hit the woodwork more times in all competitions than any other Premier League player since the start of February 2020 (11).
- Sociedad's Oyarzabal became the first visiting player to fail to score a penalty attempt at Old Trafford against United in any competition since Leighton Baines for Everton in October 2014 in the Premier League.
What's next?
United are next in action against Chelsea in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, 28 February (16:30 GMT).
Player of the match
ShoretireShola Shoretire
Manchester United
Avg
- Squad number74Player nameShoretireAverage rating
7.00
- Squad number18Player nameBruno FernandesAverage rating
6.57
- Squad number21Player nameJamesAverage rating
6.49
- Squad number19Player nameDialloAverage rating
6.43
- Squad number26Player nameHendersonAverage rating
6.41
- Squad number29Player nameWan-BissakaAverage rating
6.41
- Squad number3Player nameBaillyAverage rating
6.40
- Squad number38Player nameTuanzebeAverage rating
6.33
- Squad number11Player nameGreenwoodAverage rating
6.31
- Squad number10Player nameRashfordAverage rating
6.30
- Squad number33Player nameWilliamsAverage rating
6.14
- Squad number27Player nameAlex TellesAverage rating
6.13
- Squad number31Player nameMaticAverage rating
6.05
- Squad number17Player nameFredAverage rating
5.99
- Squad number2Player nameLindelöfAverage rating
5.74
- Squad number9Player nameMartialAverage rating
4.96
Real Sociedad
Avg
- Squad number11Player nameJanuzajAverage rating
6.44
- Squad number19Player nameIsakAverage rating
6.25
- Squad number25Player nameBautistaAverage rating
6.04
- Squad number7Player namePortuAverage rating
5.97
- Squad number8Player nameMerinoAverage rating
5.93
- Squad number16Player nameGuevaraAverage rating
5.87
- Squad number22Player nameBarrenetxeaAverage rating
5.86
- Squad number36Player nameZubimendiAverage rating
5.85
- Squad number12Player nameMuñozAverage rating
5.84
- Squad number15Player nameSagnanAverage rating
5.82
- Squad number17Player nameMerquelanzAverage rating
5.74
- Squad number14Player nameGuridiAverage rating
5.73
- Squad number5Player nameZubeldiaAverage rating
5.70
- Squad number1Player nameÁlex RemiroAverage rating
5.67
- Squad number10Player nameOyarzabalAverage rating
5.64
- Squad number18Player nameGorosabelAverage rating
5.63
Line-ups
Man Utd
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 26Henderson
- 29Wan-BissakaSubstituted forWilliamsat 45'minutesBooked at 49mins
- 3Bailly
- 2LindelöfBooked at 65mins
- 27Alex Telles
- 17FredBooked at 40minsSubstituted forTuanzebeat 45'minutes
- 31Matic
- 11GreenwoodSubstituted forShoretireat 76'minutes
- 18Bruno FernandesSubstituted forRashfordat 45'minutes
- 21JamesSubstituted forDialloat 59'minutes
- 9Martial
Substitutes
- 1de Gea
- 5Maguire
- 10Rashford
- 13Grant
- 19Diallo
- 23Shaw
- 30Bishop
- 33Williams
- 38Tuanzebe
- 54Galbraith
- 74Shoretire
Real Sociedad
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Remiro
- 18GorosabelSubstituted forBautistaat 45'minutes
- 5Zubeldia
- 15Sagnan
- 12Muñoz
- 16GuevaraSubstituted forGuridiat 72'minutes
- 36Zubimendi
- 8Merino
- 11JanuzajSubstituted forMerquelanzat 66'minutes
- 19IsakSubstituted forPortugués Manzaneraat 45'minutes
- 10OyarzabalSubstituted forBarrenetxeaat 45'minutes
Substitutes
- 7Portugués Manzanera
- 14Guridi
- 17Merquelanz
- 20Monreal
- 22Barrenetxea
- 25Bautista
- 28López
- 37Gonzalez
- 44Marrero
- 46Ruiz-Zeberio
- Referee:
- Lawrence Visser
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home57%
- Away43%
- Shots
- Home11
- Away9
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away1
- Corners
- Home4
- Away7
- Fouls
- Home12
- Away13
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Manchester United 0, Real Sociedad 0.
Post update
Amad Diallo (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Aihen Muñoz (Real Sociedad).
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Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Ander Barrenetxea (Real Sociedad).
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Attempt saved. Martín Merquelanz (Real Sociedad) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Martín Zubimendi.
Post update
Anthony Martial (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Igor Zubeldia (Real Sociedad).
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Axel Tuanzebe (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Mikel Merino (Real Sociedad).
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Corner, Real Sociedad. Conceded by Axel Tuanzebe.
Substitution
Substitution, Manchester United. Shola Shoretire replaces Mason Greenwood.
Post update
Axel Tuanzebe (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Jon Guridi (Real Sociedad).
Post update
Corner, Real Sociedad. Conceded by Victor Lindelöf.
Post update
Attempt missed. Jon Guridi (Real Sociedad) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left following a corner.
Post update
Corner, Real Sociedad. Conceded by Victor Lindelöf.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Jon Bautista (Real Sociedad) header from very close range is blocked. Assisted by Ander Barrenetxea with a cross.
Post update
Foul by Victor Lindelöf (Manchester United).
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Comments
Join the conversation
So what if it's not the champions league, you'd never tell the winners of the championship or league 1 or 2 that what they have won was meaningless.
Every year this trophy get lifted proudly by one team or another.
What have you done..?
This year it’s Shola Shoretire (17y 23d).
Any Premiership football club. Take note!
Good luck to him.
He will not work for anything, the amount of times he is beaten to the ball when its crossed to him is shocking.
I don't think he'd be on any top teams radars, surprised Ole has allowed this to go on, rest him and then give him another shot later in the season if you must! He's offering no more that any youngster would..
Oh, and disallowing a goal because a player jumped too high is a new low for VAR!
OGS playing martial again... no purpose at all, poor touches and needs to be sold, it was a very poor game to watch, i would be worried for B.williams- needs to be smart with his brain and not getting in rashly ,could had been red card in 10 mins -v lucky boy, tuanzevbe always moves like a rock, lacks flair and no creativity,
Good to see Amad and Shola get a run out.