In the end, two outstretched hands were decisive. The first, from Bruno Fernandes, probably denied Manchester United a victory; the second, from André Onana, definitely denied Real Sociedad one. After a first half low on quality, Manchester United gave themselves a first-leg lead against Real Sociedad when Joshua Zirkee guided a side-footed shot beyond Alex Remiro that had appeared to set them up not just for a win but potentially one big enough to virtually see them through. But an eagle eye and a video replay gave Real a penalty that allowed them to draw level and in the very last minute, they almost added a second.

Ultimately, a 1-1 draw is not a bad result for United to take from a night when they did not always impress, but it will have frustrated them and it offered little evidence of them having overcome their most pressing problems. Instead it revealed some of the flaws, especially in the first half.