Manchester United vs. Villarreal score, result, highlights from 2021 Europa League final

Simon Borg

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Manchester United vs. Villarreal score, result, highlights from 2021 Europa League final image

It came down to the goalkeepers in a penalty kick shootout. Spanish club Villarreal CF did the unthinkable and knocked off Manchester United in the 2021 Europa League final, winning an epic shootout to hoist their first major European cup trophy.

The match went to penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation and a scoreless stalemate in extra time. In the shootout, every field player from both teams converted on their attempts, forcing the goalkeepers to step up in Round 11. Villarreal netminder Geronimo Rulli converted his chance and then stopped the ensuing shot from his counterpart, David De Gea, to clinch the 11-10 shootout win. 

The victory earns Villarreal an automatic berth into next year's edition of the UEFA Champions League, the most prestigious club competition in the world.

It was a tight encounter for the 90 minutes of regulation with few clear scoring chances. Villarreal defended deep and withstood the pressure, earning occasional reprieves by winning corner kicks and set pieces in the opposite half. Their opener came from such a dead ball: Dani Parejo delivered a delicious curler, which found top scorer Gerard Moreno, who applied the one-touch finish for the shock lead in the 29th minute.

Villarreal grew increasingly comfortable defending the one-goal advantage into the second half. But they would eventually succumb to the goal-scoring instincts of Edinson Cavani. A deflected shot by Marcus Rashford fell to Cavani in the box and the Uruguayan striker put it away for the equalizer in the 55th.

Manchester United briefly rode the momentum from the goal, but Villarreal made several subs to regain their bearings. The match drifted into a stalemate through the 30-minute extra time period as a tiring Manchester United waited until the extra session to make all their subs, including some made with the decisive penalty kick shootout in mind. It didn't work out for the Red Devils, who were seeking their first trophy since 2017.

Villarreal coach Unai Emery becomes the winningest coach in Europa League history, claiming his fourth title in addition to the three he won with Sevilla.

Manchester United vs. Villarreal live updates & highlights

Watch the condensed penalty kick shootout here. All 22 kicks:

PK Shootout - Rd. 11: GK vs. GK. Rulli scores a beauty. De Gea's shot is stopped!!! (VIL 11, MANU 10)

PK Shootout - Rd. 10: Pau Torres puts it into the corner. Lindelof scores. Bring on the GKs!!! (VIL 10, MANU 10)

PK Shootout - Rd. 9:  Gaspar converts high. Tuanzebe scores! (VIL 9, MANU 9)

PK Shootout - Rd. 8: Coquelin roofs it! Rulli nearly stops Shaw's attempt. But it's in! (VIL 8, MANU 8)

PK Shootout - Rd. 7: Raul Albiol slots it coolly, Daniel James drills it (VIL 7, MANU 7)

PK Shootout - Rd. 6: Moi Gomez makes it! Fred sneaks it in. All even (VIL 6, MANU 6)

PK Shootout - Rd. 5:  Perfection. Dani Parejo scores. Cavani, too (VIL 5, MANU 5)

PK Shootout - Rd. 4: No one's missing! Alberto Moreno nets. Rashford matches him (VIL 4, MANU 4)

PK Shootout - Rd. 3: Alcacer sneaks it past De Gea. Bruno Fernandes also barely beats Rulli (VIL 3, MANU 3)

PK Shootout - Rd. 2: Late sub Dani Raba converts. Alex Telles does, too (VIL 2, MANU 2)

PK Shootout - Rd. 1: Gerard Moreno scores for Villarreal, Juan Mata scores for Man U (VIL 1, MANU 1)

PK Shootout:  Villarreal will take the first kick. The 'keepers are David De Gea and Geronimo Rulli.

ET / 123rd+ min: The Europa League final will be decided in a PK shootout!

ET / 121st+ min: Manchester United make two final subs for the shootout. Alex Telles and Juan Mata come in for McTominay and Wan-Bissaka. We'll see if these moves work out for Solskjaer. Villarreal also take advantage of the break in play to bring in Dani Raba for Capoue.

ET / 117th min: Interesting subs by Man United. Pogba is taken out for Daniel James. Tuanzebe takes over for Bailly at center back. PK shootout looms.

ET / 113th min:  Tense moments in Gdansk. Villarreal want a penalty for a handball in the box and Manchester United are irate about off-the-ball contact on McTominay. Play resumes.

ET / 110th min: This game has penalty kicks written all over it as this point. There's a delay for a Marcus Rashford injury and ManU reinforcements are forthcoming.

ET / 105th min: Villarreal were the better side in the first period of extra time. Only 15 minutes left before the penalty kick shootout.

ET / 100th min: Villarreal fire two warning shots through Moreno and Alcacer. Meanwhile, Fred comes in for a visibly fatigued Mason Greenwood. That's Man United's 1st sub.

ET / 96th min: Both teams are playing it safe for now. Still no subs by Manchester United. 

92nd+ min: Pau Torres with the last good chance of the match in regulation. He tries to curl it into the top left corner, but misses by a few feet. We're headed to 30-minute extra time.

87th min: SUBS - Unai Emery now brings in fresh legs for both fullback spots with Moreno and Gaspar on for Pedraza and Foyth. All 5 subs made for Villarreal. They'll have one more in extra time. Good moves by Emery with his side fading as the game has progressed.

85th min: CARD - And now it's Villarreal's Foyth who's shown a card for a sliding tackle on Luke Shaw. Dangerous set piece for Man United fizzles out.

82nd min: CARD - Bailly goes into the books for an arm in the face of Alcacer who was running onto the ball. The set piece opportunity is wasted.

76th min:  SUBS - Two straight corners for Villarreal to interrupt the Man United momentum. And two more subs coming for the wide midfield spots: The veteran Paco Alcacer (for Pino) and Moi Gomez (for Trigueros) will give the team some fresh legs. 

72nd min:  Manchester United are clearly the team most likely to score. They get to Villarreal's box with ease. The latest threat: a Cavani header on a cross drilled in by Luke Shaw.

70th min:  Marcus Rashford misses an incredible chance in front of goal, but luckily for him the offside flag went up. 

60th min: SUB - With Villarreal struggling to regain their composure, Unai Emery brings in midfielder Coquelin in place of a forward, Bacca. It'll be Moreno all alone up top for the Yellow Submarine.

55th min: GOAL! And on that corner kick, it's an equalizer for Edinson Cavani and Manchester United! 1-1. Rashford fires the ball back into the box and Cavani is the first to pounce. 

54th min: CARD - Villarreal's Capoue gets a yellow card for pulling down Bruno Fernandes. McTominay earns a corner from the resulting set piece.

52nd min: VAR check for a potential penalty for contact in the box on Mason Greenwood. It was never a penalty and nothing was given.

48th min: First big chance of the second half falls to Villarreal! Off another set piece. The ball just needed a touch in the box, but Man United clear.

47th min: Second half is underway. No changes. Expect a similar script to unfold in the second half. We'll see what tweaks Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will make.

Halftime:  Villarreal go into the lockers with a shock lead. Manchester United started strong, but Villarreal stood tall. They picked their moments to push into the attack and won a handful of corner kicks and a set piece which led to the Moreno goal. Expert performance from the Spanish side.

44th min: Sitting on a one-goal lead, Villarreal are content to sit back and absorb the pressure. Man United can't find a way through.

29th min: GOAL Villarreal! On a beautiful Dani Parejo curling free kick, top scorer Gerard Moreno applies the touch to get it past DeGea. That's Moreno's 30th goal of the season. 

23rd min: Rabona cross by Carlos Bacca, but Villarreal's Pau Torres can't get around to head on frame.

22nd min: Brief reprieve for Villarreal with two straight corners on the other end. And they took PLENTY of time to take each. 

20th min: Left back Luke Shaw whips the ball across the six-yard box but no one's there to give it a touch. Dangerous chance. The Man United fullbacks are high up the field and Villarreal have been pinned in their own end.

16th min: First real attack by Villarreal results in a corner, but Trigueros, unmarked at the far post, can't put the ball on frame.

13th min: Villarreal back to 11 men on the field after Foyth reenters at right back with his head bandaged up.

9th min: Ugly tumble by Villarreal's Juan Foyth, who slams his face nto Pogba's knee. They'll try to stop the bleeding on the sideline.

Juan Foyth - Villarreal

7th min:  First shot belongs to Man United's McTominay and it fizzes well wide left. They almost capitalized on a Villarreal giveaway.

1st min: We're officially underway.

2:52 p.m. ET: Everyone's ready for this one to kick off.

2:19 p.m. ET: A little taste of the atmosphere in Gdansk.

2 p.m. ET: Lineups are out (see full lineups below). No Harry Maguire (bench) for Man United, but it's an attack-minded starting XI with Mason Greenwood in for Fred. No surprises for Villarreal.

12:29 p.m. ET:  The stage is set in Gdansk.

10:54 a.m. ET:  Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson flew with the team to Gdansk. We'll likely see plenty of SAF on the match broadcast.

Manchester United vs. Villarreal starting lineups

Official starting lineups follow below: 

Manchester United

Starting lineup (4-3-3, left to right):  #1 David De Gea — #23 Luke Shaw, #2 Victor Lindelof, #3 Eric Bailly, #29 Aaron Wan-Bissaka — #6 Paul Pogba, #39 Scott McTominay — #10 Marcus Rashford, #18 Bruno Fernandes, #11 Mason Greenwood — #7 Edinson Cavani  

Available Subs: #26 Dean Henderson, #5 Harry Maguire, #8 Juan Mata, #17 Fred, #19 Amad, #21 Daniel James, #27 Alex Telles, #31 Nemanja Matic, #33 Brandon Williams, #34 Donny van de Beek, #38 Axel Tuanzebe, #56 Anthony Elanga, #74 Shola Shoretire

Unavailable: #4 Phil Jones (knee), #9 Anthony Martial (knee)

Villarreal CF

Starting lineup (4-4-2, left to right): #13 Geronimo Rulli — #24 Alfonso Pedraza, #4 Pau Torres, #3 Raul Albiol (captain), #8 Juan Foyth — #14 Manu Trigueros, #25 Etienne Capoue, #5 Dani Parejo, #30 Yeremy Pino — #9 Carlos Bacca, #7 Gerard Moreno 

Available Subs: #1 Sergio Asenjo (GK), #2 Mario Gaspar, #6 Ramiro Funes Mori, #12 Dani Raba, #15 Pervis Estupinan, #17 Paco Alcacer, #18 Alberto Moreno, #19 Francis Coquelin, #20 Ruben Pena, #21 Jaume Costa, #23 Moi Gomez, #34 Fer Nino

Unavailable: #10 Vicente Iborra (left ACL), #11 Samuel Chukwueze (left quad)

How to watch the Europa League final in USA

  • Time:  3 p.m. ET / Noon PT
  • TV channel: CBS Sports Network (CBSSN)
  • Live stream: Paramount+, fuboTV (7-day free trial)
  • Spanish-language TV: UniMas, TUDN Deportes

CBS Sports Network, UniMas and TUDN will carry the 2021 UEFA Europa League final and both networks are available via fuboTV's 7-day free trial .

Simon Borg

Simon Borg Photo

Simon Borg is a senior editor at The Sporting News who has covered football/soccer for over a decade. A supporter of Italian club Parma Calcio from his years growing up in Europe, he was previously a long-time member of Major League Soccer's digital media team, as a multimedia content producer, on-air personality, and Editor-in-Chief. Based in New York City, Borg is multilingual and has covered the domestic and global scene for TSN since 2021.