Manchester United 2-0 Ajax: Europa League final highlights and recap

Manchester United beat Ajax 2-0 in the Europa League final on Wednesday, May 24. Here are all the highlights from the match.

Jose Mourinho knows a thing or two about a major European cup final, as he proved for the fourth time, at the third club, in the Europa League final on Wednesday. Manchester United beat Ajax 2-0 to win the only major prize missing from the Old Trafford trophy cabinet, and to book their place in next season’s Champions League. It was hardly gripping, but Mourinho wouldn’t have it any other way.

United started with an intensity that felt appropriate under the circumstances, pressing the Dutch side in their own half and forcing several turnovers in dangerous areas. They weren’t creating many chances, but Ajax’s young squad looked rattled.

The Red Devils eventually broke through in the 18th minute. Paul Pogba, busy in central midfield early on, scored from the top of the box thanks to a big deflection off Davinson Sanchez. Marouane Fellaini provided the assist after some nice work by Juan Mata down the right.

Predictably, Mourinho’s side dropped off after taking the lead, happy to absorb Ajax’s pressure and try to pick them off on the break. The tactic may not have been surprising, but it seemed to play into the Amsterdam club’s hands, as their players grew in confidence given the extra space to build out of the back.

Bertrand Traore was particularly dangerous, running at a somewhat makeshift United backline — Chris Smalling partnered Daley Blind at center-back — whenever he got the chance. He wasn’t able to test Red Devils keeper Sergio Romero, but he looked more likely than any of his teammates to break down United’s defense.

Any hope of an Ajax comeback was almost immediately quashed in the second half, however, as Henrikh Mkhitaryan poked in a Chris Smalling knockdown in the 48th minute. The goal — scruffy, seemingly inevitable — felt like an appropriate way for United to seal their passage to next season’s Champions League.

This wasn’t the stunning, attacking soccer the United faithful have been pining for since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure, but it was certainly convincing. Ajax barely managed a shot on target all match, as the Red Devils defense sucked the life out of the game in the second half.

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Highlights

Expectations at Old Trafford will ratchet up again next season, with a halfway respectable title challenge probably the minimum requirement, but the evidence this season suggests Mourinho has this squad close to where he wants them heading into year two.