Man United star praised for what he did during 4-1 win over Real Sociedad
Man United put in a great performance in their Europa League Round of 16 second leg, securing a resounding 4-1 victory over Real Sociedad at Old Trafford, sealing a 5-2 aggregate triumph.
However, the match was overshadowed by a series of controversial refereeing decisions that sparked heated debates.
French referee Benoit Bastien found himself at the heart of the drama, awarding three penalties to Manchester United—two of which were deemed highly questionable. VAR played a crucial role in overturning one of the decisions, but the damage had already been done, leaving Real Sociedad furious at the officiating.
Patrick Dorgu show class amazing sportsmanship during Man United vs Real Sociedad
One of the most peculiar moments of the night occurred when United’s left-back, Patrick Dorgu, astonishingly urged the referee not to award a late penalty to his team. The official initially pointed to the spot for an alleged foul on Dorgu, but after a VAR review, the decision was overturned as replays showed Sociedad’s Hamari Traore had made clean contact with the ball first.
In a rare moment of sportsmanship, Dorgu could be seen gesturing to the referee that the Sociedad player got the ball and that it is not a penalty.
Patrick Dorgu told the referee not to give Man United a penalty as Real Sociedad won the ball, leading to VAR overturning the decision.
Respect. ?
? @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/3thzrfSgfm
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 13, 2025
The match began with Sociedad taking an early lead in the 10th minute through Mikel Oyarzabal scoring from the spot.
However, Manchester United responded swiftly, with Bruno Fernandes converting from the penalty spot just six minutes later. The Portuguese midfielder doubled his tally with another penalty shortly after halftime, putting United firmly in control.
The game’s defining moment arrived in the 62nd minute when Sociedad’s Jon Aramburu received a straight red card for a last-man challenge, reducing his side to 10 men. The decision was also seen contentious, as the foul occurred far from goal, raising further questions about Bastien’s judgment.
United capitalised on their numerical advantage, with Fernandes completing his hat-trick just before full-time. Diogo Dalot added the finishing touch in stoppage time, sealing an emphatic win for the Red Devils.
Real Sociedad manager Imanol Alguacil did not hold back in his post-match comments, expressing his frustration with the officiating. Speaking to media, he stated (as quoted by AS):
“We would have liked to have had a neutral referee. We did not deserve a refereeing display like this, neither did this tie, neither did this stadium.”
Meanwhile, Ruben Amorim was full of praise for Patrick Dorgu for his honesty during the penalty incident, but admitted that he may not have felt the same had United not been winning.
He said (quotes via BBC)
“It depends, it is the right thing to do so I am quite proud of him but I cannot say if it is 0-0 or losing I would have the same response.”
With their place in the Europa League quarter-finals secured, Manchester United will be eager to build on this momentum.
The post Man United star praised for what he did during 4-1 win over Real Sociedad appeared first on CaughtOffside.