Ole Gunnar Solskjaer strolled past the Europa League trophy before kick-off and it is the nearest he will get to it. Manchester United's trophy drought is near the four-year mark and that last happened in the late 80s.
They were two games away from having a superior season than Manchester City. The margins between elation and deflation are that fine and it is now three trophyless campaigns in succession. The mental fortitude of Solskjaer's side is suspect: three semi-finals and three defeats. No other team has lost in the last four of the League Cup, FA Cup, and Europa League in a single season.
Marcus Rashford, a participant in all of them and ineffectual again, threw his shinpads to the floor and mumbled his disgust to the crestfallen Jesse Lingard. Lingard and Mason Greenwood were too numb to immediately leave their seat at the end.
With City and Liverpool so far ahead they resembled a mirage this was always a season reserved for the cups, and United are still without a final appearance since the FA Cup in 2018. They achieved the bare minimum of Champions League qualification through the Premier League and that cannot constitute a successful season. In Solskjaer's playing days, third and no option of an open-top bus parade was an undeniable failure.
United will rue losing from a winning position, the goalkeeping of Yassine Bounou and profligate finishing Solskjaer had warned his forwards about. They were especially dominant in the second-half of such a fiery European tie the absence of supporters was offset by the players and officials, and the early second-half spell where Anthony Martial was foiled on three separate occasions will give the Frenchman sleepless nights.
It will stick in the craw that Sevilla prevailed amid their gamesmanship and unedifying behaviour that agitated the usually measured Solskjaer, who coldly congratulated Julen Lopetegui at full-time. Sevilla could secure a sixth Europa League in 16 seasons though the manner of their goals will grate. United's full-backs were blameworthy for both and, in a week where Joshua Kimmich and Alphonso Davies raised the bar in that department, there is more for Solskjaer to mull over with the transfer window open for seven weeks.
A Sevilla cheerleader was collared by an Old Trafford steward during their Champions League win in 2018, so United knew what to expect and their animated antics were present again. In a stadium devoid of supporters, United brought their own following through their substitutes and staff, just as vocal as Sevilla's dignitaries and the zealousness was matched on the pitch.
United were partisan six nights on from their passive behaviour in the same stadium against Copenhagen and the difference was reflected by Rashford, so purposeful he was scythed down and earned United's 22nd penalty of the season - the most won by any team in Europe's top five leagues. Bruno Fernandes made it eight out of eight from the spot in the ninth minute to crown an auspicious start.
Harry Maguire, so loud he could be heard on the River Rhine, set the tone again: "Get it to Antho's feet." Martial's mesmeric feet deceived just about everyone bar Rashford with the reverse pass that the panic-stricken Diego Carlos reacted to illegally. "Can we flick it?" Michael Carrick had asked seconds before Martial did just that.
Solskjaer discarded his tie but kept the club blazer on in conditions cooled by the rain. He still got hot under the collar amid the needless interventions by the fourth official and engaged in a socially distant confrontation with Lopetegui, wagging an accusatory finger over attempts to target Brandon Williams. Solskjaer smiled mischievously and applauded when the United full-back milked his own foul.
Eric Bailly, once of Villarreal, seemed to holler remarks in Spanish to goad the Sevilla bench. Tempers were simmering and just as Solskjaer demanded United 'keep our heads' they lost theirs. Fernandes had already shrugged in response at Solskjaer's demand for calm and it set a dangerous tone. He would later remonstrate with Victor Lindelof.
Rashford was denied a throw-in on halfway, Maguire expressed his disgust with an expletive and Williams forgot about the former Liverpool winger Suso, unattended to clinically steer in at the far post. Rashford angrily made a beeline for the fourth official, as did Solskjaer out of pure tribalism, though he was more annoyed with Maguire for losing his focus.
"See how better we are when we play?" Mike Phelan harrumphed at Maguire. A breeze swept into the stadium, United regained their composure and played with greater equanimity. Rashford's knuckle-ball free-kick stung Bounou's palms though he was profligate from a polished Paul Pogba pass.
Solskjaer reemerged for the second-half without his blazer and United played the first 10 minutes of the restart as if it was the last 10. Fernandes wielded the baton more arrogantly and Bounou thwarted Greenwood and Martial time and again, with Sevilla penned in and just about holding the fort.
Michael Carrick urged Pogba to continue with the aggressive pressing and the tension brought Lingard to the edge of his seat. Juan Mata lamented United playing the ball out for the injured Greenwood, Scott McTominay's colourful language was nearly as loud as Maguire's and seats were smacked routinely. "Gerrup," was the frequent advice offered to the Sevilla thespians and it became so heated again Mata stood up and shouted. McTominay became incandescent with his own teammates.
"Keep doing the right things," Solskjaer implored. "Marcus, come on." Fernandes became agitated with his manager's instructions and Fred proved he has mastered English swearing with the rallying cry, 'f-----g press'. Sevilla's histrionic demand for a penalty against Fernandes angered just about every United representative in the stands, with McTominay and Nemanja Matic flashing death stares and every staff member shouting 'sit down'.
If the Sevilla officials had white handkerchiefs they would have waved them yet their disapproval was eradicated by Luuk de Jong's predatory prod in the 78th minute, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka dawdling. Solskjaer will not see that trophy again.
