Sergio Romero displayed some eye-catching pre-Europa League final form by saving a penalty as Manchester United drew 0-0 at Southampton in their penultimate Premier League game on Wednesday.
United manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed Romero will start against Ajax in Stockholm next Wednesday and his early save from Manolo Gabbiadini helped the visitors stop the rot after successive losses to Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
The Argentina international, deputising for the rested David de Gea, also produced a string of saves early in the second half at St Mary’s to keep Claude Puel’s Southampton at bay.
But the result had no material impact on United’s season, given they were already guaranteed to finish sixth, and Mourinho will have been concerned by injuries sustained by Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini.
Mourinho is now guaranteed to finish his first United season with fewer league victories than either of his two maligned predecessors, David Moyes and Louis van Gaal, mustered in the previous three seasons.
Below is our ratings from the game.
SOUTHAMPTON
Forster 6
Soares 7
Stephens 6
Yoshida 7
Targett 6
Ward-Prowse 6
Romeu 8
Davis 7
Redmond 7
Tadic 7
Gabbiadini 6
Oriol Romeu.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Romero 8
Bailly 7
Smalling 5
Jones 7
Darmian 6
Fellaini 6
Tuanzebe 6
Mkhitaryan 6
Mata 7
Martial 6
Rooney 6
Sergio Romero.