Villarreal 0-2 Manchester United: Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho seal the final 16th place

Manchester United advanced to the Champions League round of 16 thanks to two late goals against Villarreal in Michael Carrick’s first game as caretaker manager.

Jadon Sancho then sealed the victory in injury time when he narrowly missed the post.

United, who sack Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Sunday, are at the top of Group F with one match remaining.

However, they were indebted to goalkeeper David de Gea, who made two superb one-handed saves, one at half-time thwarting Manu Trigueros’ failed attempts to score.

United will be guaranteed to advance as the group’s winner with one game to spare if Atalanta fail to beat Switzerland’s Young Boys in a later game on Tuesday.

Man Utd win to lift the gloom

The results pleased United’s traveling fans, as Carrick hugged his players at the final whistle as some gloom in the club lifted.

Their poor form has left them eighth in the Premier League, 12 points behind leaders Chelsea, with Solskjaer’s three years in charge coming to an end after an embarrassing 4-1 defeat to Watford on Saturday.

Carrick, who was Solskjaer’s assistant, said on Monday that he doesn’t think about the opportunity to impress and earn the role on a full-time basis.

Before the game in Spain, former team-mate Paul Scholes, now a BT Sport pundit, was harsh on Carrick and fellow coaches Kieran McKenna and Mike Phelan, saying: “I will feel feel ashamed to be joining the staff now.

“All should have gone – sacked or gone. They’ve let the club down as much as Ole did.”

Yet despite distractions off the pitch and criticism, United kept their first clean sheet in 15 games – just their second of the season.

Ronaldo once again helps his team out of trouble

Solskjaer scored United’s winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final and, despite losing his job, remains a club legend and is still sung about by their fans.

Without him, Carrick made four changes from the number 11 that started the defeat at Watford, as Donny van de Beek was brought on for the first time in two months and Bruno Fernandes was substituted.

Villarreal, under the management of former coach Unai Emery, are 12th in La Liga, having won only three of their 13 domestic matches, but were the better team in the first and early second half.

In last season’s Europa League final, Villarreal won 11-10 on penalties in Solskjaer’s lone final as United boss, the hosts having had a good chance to take the lead.

Yeremi Pino shot in the net, Trigueros twice forced De Gea to make excellent saves with one hand and Arnaut Danjuma twice shot over the bar when United came under pressure.

But Ronaldo, whose 95th-minute goal gave United a 2-1 win over Villarreal in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford in September, made the difference once again with his sixth goal of the season. this award.

Rulli’s clearance found Capoue, but the former Tottenham and Watford midfielder lost the ball to Fred, and then it fell to Ronaldo, who quickly shot past Rulli in United’s first game.

Fred was again involved in United’s second goal as he started the move, which included substitutes Marcus Rashford and Fernandes, with the ball ending at Sancho’s feet.

The England international thrashed Rulli strongly for his first goal since his £73million summer move from Borussia Dortmund to win and secure a place in the final 16.

Player of the match

de GeaDavid de Gea

Villarreal

1. Team number13Name playersRulli

2. Team number8Name playersFoyth

3. Team number4Name playersTorres

4. Team number3Name playersAlbiol

5. Team number5Name playersParejo

6. Team number21Name playersPino

7. Team number15Name playersDanjuma

8. Team numbertwelfthName playersEstupiñán

9. Team number6Name playersCapoue

10. Team number14Name playersManu Trigueros

11. Team number23Name playersMoi Gómez

12. Team number11Name playersChukwueze

13. Team number16Name playersDia

14. Team number18Name playersMoreno

15. Team number17Name playersDani Raba