Pellistri charges down the right once more and crosses to the near post, but Pezzella gets across to hook the ball away from danger!
90'
We'll play four added minutes at the end of a second half which Manchester United have been well on top of, and then some.
87'
McTominay finds Sancho bursting forward, who tees up Pellistri to his right. The youngster's heavy touch takes the ball away from him, and he slides in, wildly catching Felipe and conceding a free-kick.
85'
Abner cuts inside to cross from the left, but Ruibal's glancing header has nowhere near enough power on it to trouble De Gea.
82'
F. Pellistri enters the game and replaces Antony.
W. Weghorst has scored a goal for Manchester United!
Scott McTominay is on for the hosts, replacing Fred in the heart of midfield late on.
Antony also comes off, and Uruguayan Facundo Pellistri replaces the United winger.
GOOOOAAAALLL!!!! A richly deserved fourth for the Red Devils!!! Pellistri is straight into the action, and burns around the outside of two defenders on the right, before cutting the ball back from the byline. McTominay meets it with a first-time shot that Bravo parries, but the ball falls for Weghorst to slot home the goal he's been chasing all night!! 4-1 on the night, and United's dominance of this second half suggests that this tie may already be done and dusted - we're not even halfway through it yet.
81'
S. McTominay enters the game and replaces Fred.
80'
Willian José enters the game and replaces Juanmi.
Juanmi is off in the latest Betis change, with Willian Jose brought on to see out the final 10 minutes.
Fernandes clips a first-time pass into the path of Weghorst, but Felipe gets in the way to put the ball behind for a corner.
74'
Ruibal takes on Malacia down the right and looks to whip a cross towards the back post, but the substitute left-back stands his ground and blocks the attempt away for a Betis throw-in.
73'
Antony picks up the ball in space once more and looks to find the far corner, but his low effort is poor and rolls wide of the post.
Minute
Description
70'
Antony is put into open space and crosses for Sancho who attempts to slot the ball into Casemiro's path, but his pass is cut out by Pezzella!
68'
Bruno Fernandes gets yellow.
Guardado underhits a back-pass to Bravo, and Fernandes slides in going for the ball. He gets nothing on it though, instead catching the goalkeeper late, and the riskiness of that challenge results in the United captain being shown a yellow card.
65'
J. Sancho enters the game and replaces M. Rashford.
A. Guardado enters the game and replaces G. Rodríguez.
Borja Iglesias enters the game and replaces Ayoze Pérez.
T. Malacia enters the game and replaces L. Shaw.
Rodriguez is the latest player withdrawn by Manuel Pellegrini, and veteran Mexico midfielder Andres Guardado comes on for Betis.
Shaw also comes off having made a significant contribution at both ends, and Tyrell Malacia comes on to see out the last half hour or so.
Rashford's opener sent Manchester United on their way to what looks like being a comfortable victory in this game, and the in-form striker is replaced by his international team-mate Jadon Sancho.
Los Verdiblancos also make a change up front, as equalising goalscorer Perez is replaced by their overall top scorer this season, Borja Iglesias.
62'
Play halts due to an injury to Perez, after the Betis goalscorer was clipped by Fernandes, but we're soon back underway with United on the attack.
59'
Aitor Ruibal enters the game and replaces Luiz Henrique.
Sergio Canales enters the game and replaces Joaquín.
Luiz Henrique also comes off for Los Verdiblancos, with Aitor Ruibal, another who has two European goals this season, replacing the Brazilian.
Joaquin comes off in Betis' first change of the game, with the captain replaced by his second-in-command Sergio Canales in the number 10 role.
58'
Bruno Fernandes has scored a goal for Manchester United! Assist by L. Shaw.
GOOOOAAAALLL!!! United make it three!!! Shaw's outswinging corner is met superbly by Fernandes at the front post, and his header is too much for Bravo to handle as the ball finds the back of the net! It's woefully poor marking from Betis from the corner, but the captain won't care as he makes it 3-1!
Shaw’s corner perhaps caught Betis by surprise, but it was a pinpoint ball that gave Fernandes a fantastic opportunity to head goalwards.
57'
Fernandes fizzes a first-time cross into the danger area, and the ball speeds across the face of goal before Sabaly clears with Rashford in close proximity!
56'
W. Weghorst gets yellow.
Weghorst bundles Pezzella out and over the touchline, and is far from happy when the referee penalises him. That dissent sees the official take things a step further, as he brandishes a yellow card Weghorst's way.
52'
Antony has scored a goal for Manchester United! Assist by Bruno Fernandes.
Fernandes gets the assist having found Antony in space on the right, but the Brazilian's signature cut-back onto his left should have been a warning sign for Betis - but they didn't react quick enough!
GOOOOOOAAAALLLL!!! Super strike!!! Fernandes finds Antony to the right, and cuts back onto that dangerous left foot of his. Betis don't close him down quick enough and he shoots, leaving Bravo rooted to the spot as the ball sails straight into the top corner! 2-1 to the hosts, and the second half begins just as the first did - with a bang!
49'
Fernandes drops very, very deep to held out his defence, and finds Shaw with a superb long pass forward. Shaw charges into space and looks to find Rashford, but his ball to the striker is less than superb and Rodriguez easily cuts it out.
46'
A. Wan-Bissaka enters the game and replaces Diogo Dalot.
United make a half-time change as Aaron Wan-Bissaka comes on for Dalot at right-back, looking to provide some more defensive solidity in that area of the pitch.
Perez resumes proceedings at Old Trafford, and we're back underway in the second half!
45' +2
HALF-TIME: MANCHESTER UNITED 1-1 REAL BETIS.
45' +1
We're into a sole minute of added time at the end of an action-packed first half at Old Trafford.
45'
Fernandes plays a clever one-two with Antony and advances into the box, but he looks to find Rashford rather than shoot and Sabaly intercepts before clearing at the far post!
41'
With half-time approaching, there's nothing to separate these sides. It's been tetchy to say the least since Perez's equaliser, however whenever Rashford is on the ball for the hosts, both the home crowd and the Betis defence anticipate another moment of magic.
37'
The Betis free-kick routine sees the ball worked into the box, where Abner cuts onto his right foot and attempts a shot, but it's blocked behind to give the Balompie a corner.
36'
A poor ball backwards from Weghorst has Perez underneath it, but Casemiro climbs up his back to concede a free-kick and gift Betis another chance to cross into the area.
32'
Ayoze Pérez has scored a goal for Real Betis! Assist by Juanmi.
GOOOOAAAALLL!!!! What a finish to equalise, and Old Trafford is silenced! A cross-field pass is chested down by Juanmi, who cuts inside before switching play back to the right. It's controlled by Perez, who smashes the ball across the face of goal and beats De Gea to finish in the far corner! A superb low shot, and just like that, Betis are level at 1-1!
That finish from Perez was on a par with Rashford's opener, but the close control and vision from Juanmi to find his striker was even better!
30'
Fernandes' hanging cross from the corner drops for Casemiro, who attempts a shot on the turn from close range but can only send the ball skyward and behind.
26'
Shaw switches play to Rashford on the right flank, and after linking up with Fred, the England forward whips in a cross for Antony in the box. His first touch brings the ball down, but Carvalho steps in to deprive him of a second and Betis will look to counter!
24'
Juanmi touches down the Betis corner and Felipe tries his luck with a half-volley from the edge of the box, but the defender's shot ricochets off Weghorst before the hosts clear their lines!
23'
Perez finds Henrique running into space down the right, and he takes on Shaw in the box before Fernandes arrives to knock the ball behind for a Betis corner.
19'
Bravo's been moving rather gingerly since that sliding collision with Rashford on the edge of his box, but the Chilean looks fine to carry on as play continues.
16'
Casemiro's ball into the area is over the head of Antony, but is chased hard by the winger before Bravo comes out to claim the ball.
14'
Antony bursts forward and beats Abner around the outside before cutting back onto his left foot. He wants to shoot from inside the box, but is shrugged off the ball by Rodriguez and the visitors recover possession!
11'
Carvalho wins possession in midfield and looks to play Perez into space down the left, but the on-loan Leicester forward is needlessly offside and the linesman flags accordingly.
6'
M. Rashford has scored a goal for Manchester United!
GOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL!!!! What a strike, and what a response!!! United break forward in numbers and Fernandes attempts to find Weghorst in the box. Pezzella clips it away, but the ball only finds Rashford, who takes a touch before rifling a thumping shot goalwards, giving Bravo no chance and finding the back of the net!!! The power on that shot was simply unsavable, and it puts Manchester United 1-0 up just six minutes into this match!
2'
The hosts win an early corner which is crossed into the box by Shaw, but Sabaly beats Casemiro in the air to head it clear for Betis.
1'
Fernandes kicks off for Manchester United, and we're underway in the first leg of this Europa League knockout tie!
Hello, and welcome to live coverage of this round of 16 knockout tie in the UEFA Europa League, as Manchester United face Real Betis.
The Red Devils played out a gripping two-legged tie against Barcelona in the round of 16 qualifiers, winning 4-3 on aggregate after a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford in the second leg. However, they come into this game off the back of one of the most humiliating defeats in the club’s history, having been thumped 7-0 by Liverpool in their last league outing at Anfield.
Betis finished top of their Europa League group after winning five of their six games, and thus didn’t have to play in a qualifier to reach this stage of the knockouts. Their form in La Liga coming into this match has also been strong, with three straight wins followed up by a 0-0 draw with reigning league champions Real Madrid.
REAL BETIS SUBS: Rui Silva, Dani Martin, Edgar Gonzalez, Victor Ruiz, Borja Iglesias, Sergio Canales, Willian Jose, Andres Guardado, Aitor Ruibal, Rodri, Juan Miranda, Dani Perez.
REAL BETIS (4-2-3-1): Claudio Bravo; Youssouf Sabaly, German Pezzella, Luiz Felipe, Abner Vinicius; William Carvalho, Guido Rodriguez; Luiz Henrique, Joaquin, Juanmi; Ayoze Perez.
MANCHESTER UNITED SUBS: Tom Heaton, Jack Butland, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Tyrell Malacia, Jadon Sancho, Facundo Pellistri, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Anthony Elanga, Scott McTominay, Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo.
MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): David de Gea; Diogo Dalot, Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw; Casemiro, Fred; Antony, Wout Weghorst, Bruno Fernandes; Marcus Rashford.
The teams trudge out onto a snowy Old Trafford pitch, but the atmosphere here is anything but frosty!
The teams are back out for the second half, and although the weather has let up a tad, here's hoping the entertainment won't be following suit!
United's coasting to a 4-1 victory in this first leg should make the second a formality - however, that's never the case in football, is it? Betis' second half was dismal, as they tailed off massively following a bright end to the first period, and unless Los Verdiblancos can produce something special to turn the tide at the Estadio Benito Villamarin, the place up for grabs in the quarter-finals is the Red Devils' to lose.
That's all from us, we hope you enjoyed the game. We'll see you next time, and until then, goodbye!
Commentary
More…