Marcus Rashford scored a beauty as Manchester United continued their pursuit of trophy no. 2 with a 1-0 second leg win over Real Betis in the Europa League Round of 16 on Thursday in Seville.
The win joined last week’s blowout 4-1 win at Old Trafford to give the Red Devils a 5-1 aggregate win and a berth in the UEL quarterfinals.
[ LIVE: Europa League scores ]
The quarterfinal draw will be held at 8am ET Friday in Switzerland, and Manchester United joins Juventus, Sevilla, and Feyenoord in the draw.
Four of Ferencvaros, Bayer Leverkusen, Union Saint-Gilloise, Union Berlin, Real Sociedad, AS Roma, Arsenal, and Sporting Lisbon will join the quarterfinal field following 4pm ET Thursday second legs.
[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]
Easy, breezy win shows Red Devils well-drilled
A 4-1 first-leg lead makes going about your business pretty simple, but Erik ten Hag’s men made it look easy to boot.
Casemiro looked like a man playing a few games at once, which is fitting given his latest red card suspension in Premier League play, and David Dea was in control of his box with two saves and eight recoveries.
A rest for Raphael Varane and some valuable minutes for Facundo Pellistri (below) to start and Anthony Elanga opff the bench made this a straight-forward showing for Ten Hag, who will feel his team is humming as it hits Friday morning’s quarterfinal draw.
SEVILLE, SPAIN - MARCH 16: Facundo Pellistri of Manchester United runs with the ball during the UEFA Europa League round of 16 leg two match between Real Betis and Manchester United at Estadio Benito Villamarin on March 16, 2023 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Manchester United via Getty Imag
Real Betis vs Manchester United player ratings: Stars of the Show
Marcus Rashford: You might say he was wasteful with his four shots if not for the quality of his strike from distance to make it 5-1 on aggregate.
Casemiro: Over 100 touches, four chances created, and 12 recoveries on a monstrous bounce back from his weekend red card. Got the assist on Rashford’s goal.
Juanmi: Was credited with five shots and four chances created in the loss.
What’s next?
Manchester United hosts Fulham at 12:30pm ET Sunday in the FA Cup quarterfinals.
Sporting won’t play again until after the international break, when they’ll be home to Santa Clara on April 2.
Marcus Rashford goal video: Sublime strike for Rashford
AN UNREAL STRIKE FROM MARCUS RASHFORD. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/KvWStuTYa5
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) March 16, 2023
How to watch Real Betis vs Manchester United live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 1:45pm ET ThursdayTV Channel/Stream: Paramount PlusUpdates: Via NBCSports.com
Key storylines & star players
Casemiro was shown a straight red card for the second time in just eight appearances over the weekend, meaning he will miss Man United’s next four games in domestic competitions, but he remains available for the ongoing run through the Europa League. With a thin squad of players and a congested fixture list, manager Erik ten Hag will be forced to rely on his typically composed midfield anchor, even if only to keep someone else in the team fresh for the weekend.
Manchester United team news, injuries, lineup options
OUT: Alejandro Garnacho (ankle), Christian Eriksen (ankle), Donny van de Beek (knee), Mason Greenwood (suspension - MORE) | QUESTIONABLE: Anthony Martial (hip), Marcel Sabitzer (knock), Victor Lindelof (illness)
