Mannwan: Garnacho s performance on the defensive end is impressive, Hoylen s protests are effective

May 2nd News Manchester Evening News wrote an article about Garnacho and Hoylen's performance in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League semi-finals where Manchester United beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0.

Manchester United beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in the first leg of the UEFA semi-finals, and almost one foot has entered the final. During the game, Manchester United withstood the opponent's early offensive and scored a goal with Maguire's wonderful cross-border breakthrough in the 30th minute. Subsequently, Hoylen and VAR awarded Manchester United a penalty, and Vivian of Athletic Bilbao was also sent off with a red card for a foul. B Fei took the penalty and soon he took another pass from Ugath to another goal. In the second half, although Manchester United missed multiple opportunities to expand the score, they still returned to Old Trafford with confidence to prepare for the second leg, believing that they had laid the foundation for returning to Bilbao to participate in the final.

Ganacho not only performed well on the offensive end, but also showed impressive defensive abilities. In the 25th minute, Manchester United was almost defeated by the opponent, and Nico Williams' cross passed the ball to a dangerous position on the edge of the penalty area. However, Garnacho, who was returning to defense, intercepted and controlled the ball in time, turned around and created the opponent's foul, resolving the crisis. This position and defensive work, which is usually part of Ugat or Casemiro, was done by Garnacho, shows his efforts and contribution to the team. This once again proves that the striker's attitude and performance have changed significantly since he was hidden in mid-December last year.

If Hoylund was not pulled down by Athletic Bilbao defender Vivian, he might have received a pass from Mazravi and converted it into a goal. However, Hoylund felt the contact between the other party and realized that his chances were affected, so he fell to the ground. Not only that, he also did something increasingly important in modern football, and strongly protested against the referee. Vivian tried to explain to Hoylen that the contact was not serious, but Hoylen's fierce reaction caught the referee's attention. In the VAR era, players need to show the referees their strong feelings about a penalty, which not only allows the game to be paused for a decision to be checked, but also allows the referee to re-examine the situation.

When Garnacho encountered a similar foul in the second half, the game restarted quickly is an example. Hoylen's protest ensured that the referee had to view the video, and that his anger might have convinced the referee that the contact was indeed enough to prevent him from completing the action. Although it seems trivial, he deserves praise. In an interview before the game, Amorin was asked about his expectations for the first 20 minutes, and he said "there will be a lot of pressure." He mentioned that the team was not ready last Sunday against Bournemouth. Apparently, he criticized the players, noting that the team was not ready for a quick start to Bournemouth, despite reminding the team before the game.

Athletic Bilbao will definitely get into the form quickly in this game. Considering that Bournemouth coach Ilaura is a former Bilbao legend and said that she will discuss Manchester United's situation with current Bilbao coach Ernesto Valverde, it is certain that they will take advantage of Manchester United's slow heat, and Manchester United's performance is not perfect. Ugat made a mistake in possession in the opening stage, giving Athletic Bilbao some chances, but they did not concede the ball and fought back decisively at the other end.