Bruno Fernandes does not deserve to be playing Europa League football.
The Portuguese star scored United’s penalty and provided an assist in a 3-2 defeat in Leipzig.
Agonisingly, Fernandes saw a free-kick come back off the underside of the crossbar with the scoreline at 2-0.
His Champions League campaign ends with a very impressive four goals and two assists from six games.
He now has 11 goals and seven assists in all competitions this season.
Fernandes was especially impressive in the second half. He had a long range shot which dipped at the near post and required a smart save from Peter Gulacsi.
No player on the pitch touched the ball more times than he did, 93 times in total.
Fernandes created four chances, a higher number than any United or Leipzig player.
He had five shots at goal in total too, a figure matched only by Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford, neither of who had the clinical edge on the night which United required.
Fernandes also impressively won three tackles, the most on United’s team, and a figure matched by two of Leipzig’s players.
United came close, but not close enough. There is a thin line between success and failure and Solskjaer’s side fell on the wrong side of it.
None of that is Fernandes’ fault. Mistakes made in the Champions League campaign were defensive ones.
Hopefully United will earn the opportunity to be playing Champions League football again next year.
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