Published : Feb. 24, 2012 - 19:06
LONDON (AP) ― Manchester United advanced to the next round of the Europa League on Thursday despite losing its first ever home game in the competition 2-1 to Ajax.
Javier Hernandez stretched United’s 2-0 first-leg advantage in the sixth minute before Aras Ozbiliz made it 1-1 on the night 31 minutes later. Toby Alderweireld scored with three minutes left but Ajax could do no more than scare United, which is in the second-tier tournament after it was eliminated from the Champions League group stage.
Manchester United’s Park Ji-sung heads upfield on Thursday. (AP-Yonhap News)
The English powerhouse progressed 3-2 on aggregate.
United will face Atletic Bilbao in the round of 16 after the Spanish side beat Lokomotiv Moscow 1-0 to advance on away goals.
Valencia and Atletico Madrid also progressed, as did PSV Eindhoven and Udinese.
United started strongly at Old Trafford and Hernandez scored following good approach work from Park Ji-sung and Dimitar Berbatov. Ozbiliz hit a 20-meter shot past goalkeeper David de Gea for 1-1 and, after De Gea made a point-blank stop from Christian Eriksen’s header, Alderweireld bundled the ball into the net from close range.
One more goal would have take the Dutch side through to the round of 16 on away goals but United held out.
Manager Alex Ferguson blamed United’s problems on his selection of a defense composed of Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and the Da Silva twins. None are vastly experienced.
“Tonight I used too many young players in the back four positions,” Ferguson said. “It was a big risk we took.”
Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, Bilbao was reduced to 10 men when Fernando Amorebieta was sent off in the 60th for a second booking.
But two minutes later, Fernando Llorente flicked a corner kick toward the far post where Iker Munian hit an unstoppable volley into the roof of goal.