Manchester United beat Ajax to claim Europa League title

By Rilwan Musa Gawu -


Manchester United proved too strong for Ajax as a goal in each half won the 2017 UEFA Europa League to complete the English giants' set of major UEFA club competition trophies.
Strikes from Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan secured the victory in Stockholm but this was the consummate team performance, built on a formidable midfield engine room of Ander Herrera, Marouane Fellaini and Pogba. Ajax, whose starting XI averaged 22 years of age, had no answer.
United were in the ascendancy from the off and never looked back after Pogba's 18th-minute shot took a wicked deflection off Davinson Sánchez and looped in. There were flashes of hope for the Dutch side, chiefly from Bertrand Traoré, but United were nigh on impenetrable.
Mkhitaryan delivered the clinching blow moments into the second period, cleverly hooking in from a corner. There was no let-up in intensity, though, as José Mourinho's men sealed a pair of hat-tricks: three trophies for the season and the full set of UEFA knockout competition titles.
Man of the match: Ander Herrera (Manchester United)
The Spaniard has long been the unsung hero of this team and this was another selfless performance sat in front of the back four. He worked tirelessly throughout, mopping up and launching attacks with his fine distribution. When Pogba, who dropped alongside him in the closing stages, briefly left his post for a forward foray the disciplined Herrera called him right back.
Previous man of the matches
2016 Coke (Sevilla)
2015 Éver Banega (Sevilla)
2014 Ivan Rakitić (Sevilla)
2013 Branislav Ivanović (Chelsea)
2012 Radamel Falcao (Atlético Madrid)
2011 Radamel Falcao (Porto)
2010 Diego Forlán (Atlético Madrid)
2009 Darijo Srna (Shakhtar Donetsk)
2008 Andrey Arshavin (Zenit)
2007 Andrés Palop (Sevilla)
2006 Enzo Maresca (Sevilla)
2005 Daniel Carvalho (CSKA Moskva)
2004 Roberto Ayala (Valencia)
2003 Derlei (Porto)
2002 Jon Dahl Tomasson (Feyenoord)
2001 Gary McAllister (Liverpool)
2000 Cláudio Taffarel (Galatasaray)
1999 Hernán Crespo (Parma)
1998 Ronaldo (Internazionale Milano)

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