Manchester United Held to 1-1 Draw by Real Sociedad in Europa League First Leg

United's struggles in front of goal and a late penalty leave the tie finely poised ahead of the second leg at Old Trafford.

Manchester United drew 1-1 against Real Sociedad in the first leg of their Europa League Round of 16 matchup, with both teams struggling to create consistent scoring opportunities.
Joshua Zirkzee scored for United in the second half after a well-worked move involving Alejandro Garnacho, but the lead lasted only 13 minutes due to a penalty converted by Mikel Oyarzabal.
The penalty was awarded after VAR determined Bruno Fernandes handled the ball during a corner, a decision manager Ruben Amorim declined to comment on directly.
United’s attacking inefficiency was evident, with Rasmus Højlund failing to register a shot and other chances, including two from Garnacho, going unconverted.
Real Sociedad, missing star midfielder Martín Zubimendi due to illness, created late chances but were denied by United goalkeeper André Onana, keeping the tie level heading into next week's second leg in Manchester.