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LONDON. — Paul Scholes in no doubt that David de Gea is the best keeper in the world, while Rio Ferdinand celebrated the Spaniard’s spectacular save as if Manchester United had scored a goal, with the ‘keeper justifying once again why he is the globe’s number one.
World class is an over used term in football and maybe with Paul Pogba that has been the case but there is no doubt that Manchester United have at least one player worthy of that status as De Gea once again demonstrated his importance as he kept his team in this Champions League tie.
Two superb saves from headers, the second breathtaking, at the end of the first half denied Sevilla who had countless other opportunities against an at times over-run United side who nevertheless go into the second leg of this last-16 encounter on March 13 as favourites to progress into the quarter-finals.
Or maybe not if they play like this because for all of Jose Mourinho’s post-match protestations about his team being in control that was simply not the case while it is dispiriting that, once more, the United manager’s pre-occupation was to try and stop the opposition rather than impose him team on them.
The visitors looked pedestrian, conservative, restrained; a team lacking in verve. It was a far cry, for example, from the way Liverpool destroyed Porto away last week. And surely United cannot keep relying on De Gea?
In fact Mourinho congratulated himself on how his midfield had controlled the Sevilla playmaker Ever Banega – not quite true – and he lauded his decision to field Scott McTominay from the start, and as competently as the promising young Scot did perform, he is an essentially destructive, rather than constructive, player.
United’s alleged control was arguable for De Gea made eight saves in all from 25 attempts at goal by Sevilla – the most for a United goalkeeper in a Champions League game since Edwin van der Sar versus Barcelona in May 2011.
And Sevilla, fifth in La Liga, are no Barcelona of that or even this vintage. Whatever their attacking intent and desire to score under their new head coach Vincenzo Montella for whom this was only a second match in this competition against Mourinho’s 140 games.
And yet United’s display smacked of a performance from a team set out by a manager more concerned about stopping the opposition than winning the game.
But Mourinho is a master of the knockout competitions, or at least going deep into them, and will argue this kind of occasion is about managing the two matches. And not just the one. Get through this tie and his approach worked.
Sam Pilger
‘’David De Gea’s save from Muriel might just been the best save from a #MUFC goalkeeper since Schmeichel in Vienna in 1996. Incredible keeper.’’
Scholes
“He’s the best around, there’s no doubt about that. It’s a sensational save. He must have saved the team so many points, he’s been the player of the season.”
Ferdinand
“It was unreal, he’s been doing this for a couple years now.jk
“I celebrated it like it was a goal for Man United. That’s saved United.”
And there was plenty of praise for the Spanish keeper on Twitter…
Jordan Clarke
‘’This guy is genuinely not human. The amount of times De Gea has saved us, and his manager, is countless.
‘’Would do anything for him to stay for his whole career.’’ — The Sun/Telegraph
Online Reporter