Match verdict by Hughie Southon
It’s not over by any means.
Franfurkt were probably around five per cent better on the the night but we showed enough to believe we can do what’s required next Thursday,
In the meantime there’s the little matter of Arsenal at the weekend and refocusing on the top six in case it goes wrong in Germany.
Let’s remember that tonight the first goal came when nobody had really had time to get at it , that MIkey Antonio’s equaliser will have restored the guy’s confidence and that we hit the woodwork three times, twice from Jarrod Bowen.
The second came from a flying overhead effort that hit the underside of the crossbar and was cleared. It would have been the goal of this or any other season.
All of that showed we can break this team down and having had a good look at them tonight we are set for Moyes to bring in some changes and new tactics which could swing things out way next week.
Football has a wonderful way of making us all eat our words at times and Said Benrahma made the point tonight with a great performance as sub.
He scared them to death and could easily – HOPEFULLY – become the match winner next week if he reaches that level again.
This is half timer, We will have learned a lot and we go to Frankfurt ready to win the game and enter the final!
Dawson and Zouma did well, Cressie and Johnson not so well and it will surely be time to bring back Coufal for next week but in the meantime we need to beat the Gooners.
The movement of the Germans was so clever. They moved in unison and always had the square ball, then found the spaces. To be honest they came through our midfield efficiently, and we didn’t seem able to do the same. Hence Lanzini and Fornals were not effective sadly.COYI