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He laid off a pass and his team escaped down the right before the ball was played harmlessly out of touch. It was that kind of night for United. Confident and comfortable before a mess at the end of it all. More of the same is in store next week. Even after Ruben Amorim’s side went ahead just before the hour mark, courtesy of a fine move that married calmness with flair, finished off by Joshua Zirkzee’s controlled side-foot finish from the edge of the box, the sloppy concession of a penalty with 20 minutes to go gifted the home side a lifeline. Mikel Oyarzabal converted in the way you would expect of a Spanish international with such pedigree. United and Fernandes complained that the penalty, awarded by the referee after being sent to the monitor by the VAR, was harsh. He challenged in the air and led with his arm. It didn’t seem clear at the time and even after a couple of more views you could not be certain if the United captain hit the ball with his arm first or whether Nayef Aguerd connected with the slightest of touches. No matter, the momentum of the game swung completely and La Real will be the ones regretting missed opportunities before the end. They go to Old Trafford next week all square and no doubt confident that they can play no worse than they did for the first three quarters of this game. The thing is, they might well do and it could still be enough to get the better of United to reach the last eight. After being dumped out of the FA Cup by Fulham on penalties at the weekend United knew this was the competition that could offer hope. They are 14th in the Premier League and not quite bad enough to suffer relegation. Yet there is little chance of them overhauling Brentford who are five points clear in 11th place. They are in a no man’s land and Jim Ratcliffe refuses to pay for the map towards salvation. Advertisement The Europa League is the only chance at some kind of joy and while they looked comfortable for large parts, there were still ominous signs of vulnerability whenever La Real dared to simply run through the middle of their non-existent midfield. There was still major frustration at the decision-making of Alejandro Garnacho in the final third, alleviated somewhat when he finally got his head up to produce a perfect cutback for Zirkzee to stride onto and score. Ratcliffe and INEOS have been all for some crude cutbacks at Old Trafford in the name of the bottom line, and this was one the fans could enjoy too. But then there is still so much wrong and frustrating and utterly mediocre about this United team. Rasmus Hojlund didn’t score again because he didn’t have a shot again. He should have been given a brilliant chance on a plate in the centre of the box after 19 minutes. Dalot was set free by Noussair Mazraoui after venturing forward on the right and beat the offside trap. His striker showed pace to match the run and all he needed was for the pass to be slipped across early before Aihen Muñoz could retreat. Dalot either didn’t see the run, which would be bad enough, or made the decision in the moment to slow the play down and cut back inside instead. Or maybe he just didn’t fancy a striker who hasn’t scored in his last 18 games to do anything with the chance. All of the options tell the story of United’s malaise. Ordinarily, taking a 1-1 draw back to your own ground would be cause for optimism. Old Trafford instead seems to inflict another level of suffering on these players as opponents sense blood and a chance to enjoy themselves on a famous stage. That is what La Real will be looking forward to now, whereas United will probably be dreading the prospect of having to impose themselves at home. They were unable to punish La Real for their own lacklustre display and show a ruthlessness in the final third to put the tie beyond doubt. Maybe a stirring Old Trafford night can provide the inspiration needed to prevent this season effectively ending before St Patrick’s Day. David Sneyd Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Manchester United waste golden opportunity as mediocrity comes back to haunt them”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Manchester United waste golden opportunity as mediocrity comes back to haunt them”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. 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