United Held to 1-1 Draw by Sociedad in UEL First Leg

A crucial clash in Spain ends level as Manchester United and Real Sociedad share the spoils in the first leg of their UEL tie.

March 6, 2025
9:36 pm

Manchester United had to settle for a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League clash against Real Sociedad, leaving things wide open for the return leg at Old Trafford. The Red Devils managed to stay unbeaten in their last nine European away games in Spain, but they still have a lot of work ahead.

The pressure was on after United’s penalty shootout loss to Fulham in the FA Cup on Sunday, making the UEL their best shot at winning a trophy and securing a spot in Europe for next season. As Erik ten Hag’s team stepped onto the field at the Reale Arena, you could feel the tension, but they started strong, with Alejandro Garnacho forcing goalkeeper Álex Remiro into a save early on.

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Even with some promising moments, Sociedad looked more dangerous in the first half. Bruno Fernandes and Joshua Zirkzee both had chances but were stopped by some great defending from Aritz Elustondo, keeping the score level at halftime. United had struggled to score in their last UEL matches, failing to find the net in five of their last six games, and the first half ended without any goals.

Just after the break, Garnacho had another chance to put his team ahead, but his shot hit the side-netting. Finally, in the 58th minute, Zirkzee scored his first-ever UEL goal, tapping in a perfect cutback from Garnacho. But United’s 1-0 lead didn’t last long; just over 10 minutes later, a handball by Fernandes in the box let Sociedad captain Mikel Oyarzabal score a penalty, sending André Onana the wrong way.

After the equalizer, Sociedad took control, and United had to hold on to keep the tie level. Brais Méndez had a powerful shot tipped over by Onana, and Orri Óskarsson missed a great chance, shooting wide when set up by Sheraldo Becker. In stoppage time, Óskarsson tested Onana again, but the United keeper made a crucial save to keep things even.

As the final whistle blew, United’s unbeaten UEL streak continued, but with the return leg at Old Trafford coming up, they’ll need to step up their game to get past Sociedad and keep their trophy dreams alive.