Cologne:Ā Manchester United made it an unwanted hat-trick of semi-final defeats this season after losing 2-1 in the Europa League to Sevilla.
After losing in the last four of the FA Cup and EFL Cup, United failed to convert a string of chances before Luuk de Jong scored the winning goal for Europa League expert Sevilla.
The Spanish club has won all five of the finals itās reached in Europeās second-level cup competition. Sevilla has the chance to win a record-extending sixth title on Friday in Cologne when its opposition will be either Inter Milan or Shakhtar Donetsk, who play Monday. United will look to the new English Premier League season next month after a marathon coronavirus-extended campaign which saw defender Harry Maguire play 55 games.
United was beaten 3-2 on aggregate by Manchester City in January in a two-leg EFL Cup semi-final and 3-1 by Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals in July.
Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou kept his team in the semi-final at 1-1 with crucial saves either side of halftime, before de Jong won it. With the game at 1-1 and heading for extra time, Sevilla substitute de Jong made the breakthrough in the 78th minute.
A cross by Jesus Navas fell kindly for the tall Dutch forward to score his first European goal of the season from close range. United had taken the lead in the ninth minute with yet another penalty in a season packed with them. Diego Carlos tangled with Marcus Rashford as the United forward had his shot saved, and then Bruno Fernandes stepped up to send the penalty into the top-left corner.
United has been awarded 22 spot kicks in all competitions this season, more than any other club in the five biggest European leagues. Since Fernandes arrived at the club in January, heās scored eight from the spot.
Fernandes put a hop back into his run-up after omitting it for the extratime penalty which decided the quarterfinal against Copenhagen. It was enough to beat Sevilla ākeeper Bounou, who had saved a spot kick from Wolverhamptonās Raul Jimenez in the previous round.