Real Sociedad held Manchester United to a 1-1 draw during the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 first leg match on March 6, 2025, at Reale Arena, San Sebastián.
Joshua Zirkzee opened the scoring for United with his first European goal at the 57th minute, capitalizing on some defensive confusion from Sociedad. The forward's strike from the edge of the box caught goalkeeper Alex Remiro off guard, putting the visitors 1-0 up.
Despite being dominated by Manchester United early on, Real Sociedad managed to equalize through Mikel Oyarzabal. The equalizer came afterVAR intervened to penalize Bruno Fernandes for handball during a corner kick. Oyarzabal confidently converted the penalty, with his ninth career goal securing the tie at 1-1.
The match setting the stage for the second leg at Old Trafford next week raised the stakes high. With United seeking to maintain their unbeaten streak, they still face pressure to deliver after their premature exit from the FA Cup just days earlier.
“We fully expect to progress,” stated former United player Paul Scholes during commentary for TNT Sports, reflecting the general sentiment among supporters. “United should have enough,” he added, indicating confidence based on their overall performance this season.
While Manchester United controlled the game's early moments, taking 11 shots to Sociedad's four before conceding the penalty, concerns about their finishing persisted. The team displayed promising plays, yet long-standing issues with clinical finishing threatened their chances of securing the win.
Zirkzee’s goal followed what could have been several chances as the United team pressed their opponents. The game saw moments of frustration for both teams, and as fatigue began to set for United, they struggled to maintain their momentum after the equalizing penalty change.
Ruben Amorim, United's manager, commented post-match on his team's performance and the penalty decision, acknowledging the challenges faced by his side but remained optimistic. “It was clear we had control until the penalty changed everything. We were late on our challenges and late to ball transitions,” he noted, highlighting the importance of staying fresh for their upcoming encounters.
Heading to the second leg, United fans look to their side to be more ruthless, particularly following Zirkzee's comment on the importance of converting chances created. He remarked, “We were lucky with the penalty, but now we must focus on converting our chances.”
Both clubs now pivot back to domestic competition before the thrilling conclusion of this Europa League tie. Real Sociedad prepare for their La Liga match against Sevilla, and United face Arsenal with both teams eager to capitalize on their recent form through victories.
This draw leaves United still unbeaten this season, raising expectations at Old Trafford. They hope to convert necessary improvements shown during the first leg back on their home turf, eager to advance to the quarter-finals and keep their season alive.
The second leg will be held on March 13, 2025, at Old Trafford, where United will look to create a strong performance backed by their home fans.