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Cavani’s early strike sets tone as United march on

Manchester United 2 Granada 0

Edinson Cavani of Manchester United scores his team's first goal past Jesus Vallejo of Granada CF at Old Trafford. Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images Expand

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Edinson Cavani of Manchester United scores his team's first goal past Jesus Vallejo of Granada CF at Old Trafford. Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images

Edinson Cavani of Manchester United scores his team's first goal past Jesus Vallejo of Granada CF at Old Trafford. Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images

Edinson Cavani of Manchester United scores his team's first goal past Jesus Vallejo of Granada CF at Old Trafford. Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images

Mark Critchley

Edinson Cavani’s sublime early strike and a late own goal eased Manchester United into the semi-finals of the Europa League, allowing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to celebrate reaching the last four of a cup competition for the fifth time since taking charge at Old Trafford.

Now, it is about taking that next step, which will involve coming through a stiffer test than that of Granada.

After a 2-0 win in Andalusia that was more comfortable than the scoreline suggested, this was cut from the same cloth. Ahead on the night after just six minutes and streets clear on aggregate, United could afford to shift down the gears and manage their way through the rest of the evening.

Roma now stand between Solskjaer and United’s first final under his management, while either Arsenal or Villarreal could await in Gdansk.

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With a place in next season’s Champions League all but secured and a second-place Premier League finish behind Manchester City looking likely, there is no reason for Solskjaer not to focus the energy on a first piece of silverware from here.

To be fair to the United manager, he has rarely shown any desire to prioritise one competition over another and continued to treat these Thursday night engagements with a rare level of respect, despite being ahead by two away goals.

Aside from enforced absences through suspension and injury and the return of David De Gea in goal, this was as strong a line-up as possible, featuring Bruno Fernandes and led out by captain for the night Paul Pogba. That meant no place for Donny van de Beek, who has only made four starts since January 1.

It felt a little like overkill. Granada’s story may be extraordinary, rising from Spain’s equivalent of the National League regional divisions to this first European campaign in their history, but there is a very ordinary team at the centre of it, mid-table in La Liga with a distinctly mediocre record. United did not need long to tighten their grip on the tie.

Pogba played his part, neatly flicking on Alex Telles’ cross from the left wing, but this goal was all about Cavani’s finish. Despite his advancing years, the 34-year-old has lost none of his technique and timed his volley of Pogba’s header to perfection, directing it into the bottom right-hand corner of Rui Silva’s goal in one clean motion.

Granada now needed four. Given that United were looking to extend a 16-game unbeaten home record in this competition, their chances were slim. And in any case, they had made the fatal error of playing in black shirts against Old Trafford’s newly blacked-out seat coverings. If United’s progression was not assured before kick-off, it was now.

Only injury or suspensions could spoil Solskjaer’s evening, but Pogba came perilously close to being sent off not long after the goal. After a couple of first-half flashpoints, one of which saw him booked, he was replaced by Van de Beek.

Solskjaer kept Fernandes on the field for 73 minutes in all, eventually introducing Juan Mata in his place for a rare run-out, and it was Mata’s attempt to meet a late header in the 90th minute which discombobulated Jesus Vallejo to put the icing on the cake. A far greater challenge, awaits.

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