Manchester United's miserable European season continued at Old Trafford as they suffered a stunning 3-2 first-leg defeat by Athletic Bilbao in their Europa League last-16 tie on Friday morning (AEDT).
Bilbao appeared to have taken complete control of the game - and the overall tie - when the hugely impressive Iker Muniain shot his side into a 3-1 lead, only for Wayne Rooney to reduce the arrears with an injury-time penalty.
Rooney's 23rd goal of the season had initially handed United an undeserved lead before Fernando Llorente equalised towards the end of the first half.
Oscar de Marcos struck to put the visitors ahead after 71 minutes, appearing on the end of one of the numerous slick Bilbao passing attacks to which United had no answer and making it 2-1.
Muniain started the move before Ander Herrera lobbed through a weighted pass, met by a first-time, left-foot volley from de Marcos, eight yards out, which left the United goalkeeper David de Gea rooted to the spot on its way into the bottom corner.
Then, with one minute of normal time left, Bilbao claimed a third as Muniain pounced ahead of a sluggish Rafael to slam the ball into an open goal after de Gea had palmed away de Marcos' low shot.
The goal was shrouded in controversy as it stemmed from a Bilbao free-kick that had been awarded in a bizarre incident after United defender Patrice Evra lost his boot.
Rooney handed United some glimmer of hope in the 91st minute, convincingly converting from the penalty spot after de Marcos had capped an eventful night by handling a cross from Javier Hernandez.
City downed
Manchester City's quest for Europa League glory also received a setback when the Premier League leaders lost 1-0 at Sporting Lisbon in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
City had crushed Portuguese league leaders Porto 6-1 on aggregate in the previous round, but it found Sporting - 14 points off the pace in the Portuguese Liga - a much more obdurate adversary at Jose Alvalade Stadium.
Brazilian centre-back Xandao claimed the game's only goal with a clever back-heel in the 51st minute to give Ricardo Sa Pinto's side a narrow advantage ahead of the second leg at the City of Manchester Stadium next week.
"This result was not a surprise, anything can happen in football. I don't think we deserved to lose," City coach Roberto Mancini said.
"We did not play well. We had chances to score, but we didn't take them. It will be a different game in Manchester. When we have chances to score, we will score."
Victory extended Sporting's unbeaten European home record to 10 games, while Mancini was left to rue an injury to captain Vincent Kompany that forced the Belgian centre-back to leave the fray early in the game.
"We have to wait one or two days to know the exact extent of his injury, but it is a problem with his calf," Mancini said. "I hope to have Kompany back in 10 days or two weeks, but we have other solutions."
Tags: sport, soccer, england First posted March 09, 2012 09:12:38
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