da wazamba： Job done. Manchester United travelled to Saint-Etienne with a 3-0 lead after last week’s routine victory at Old Trafford knowing that, barring an almighty collapse, their name would be in the pot for the last 16 of the Europa League. It may not be the competition Jose Mourinho wants to be in, but it’s continental football nonetheless, so a 1-0 win in France to secure a 4-0 aggregate victory will have been welcomed by the Portuguese boss, even if Eric Bailly was sent off and goalscorer Henrikh Mkhitaryan injured.

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Alas, there was a big positive for ‘The Special One’, who once again witnessed what Daley Blind can do from left-back. The Dutchman wowed in the first leg of the tie and justified his manager’s decision to keep him in the XI with another fine performance…

Only Paul Pogba had more touches of the ball than Blind’s 73 from a wide role, showing how involved he made himself in the play, with the ex-Ajax’s man’s five interceptions the joint-most of any player on the pitch. On top of that, Blind executed four clearances, won three tackles and even played two key passes, all while averaging 77% pass completion – no mean feat, that.

Mourinho has struggled to settle on an option at left-back all season, switching between Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo and Matteo Darmian, but Blind may well be the ideal man long-term.

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