Manchester United did something they've not done before under Ruben Amorim in Real Sociedad rout

Diogo Dalot and Alejandro Garnacho stood in front of Old Trafford's East Stand checking their pulses. Perhaps it was a metaphor because Manchester United's season suddenly feels alive with possibilities.

A night laced with jeopardy and the prospect of embarrassment brought out the best of Ruben Amorim's team. We might have just seen a glimpse of the future in a week dominated by talk of it. By the end, this was a romp, and Dalot and Garnacho weren't the only ones in red having fun.

For all the positivity of a bright performance against Arsenal and dreams of a new 100,000-capacity stadium, the mood would have turned again had United bailed out of Europe against Real Sociedad. When the La Liga side took an early lead after an excellent start, you feared the worst.

United's season has now come down to this. A series of tight-rope walks on a Thursday night and falling off straight away would have summed this campaign up.

But this morning, this season has a pulse as well. This was the best performance United have produced under Amorim. Whereas previously they have impressed in games where they can defend deep and strike on the break, this time they dominated possession and were the aggressors throughout. This is an attacking blueprint to work from.

The Europa League has suited United this season and on this evidence they are realistic contenders to go all the way and salvage something from this wreckage. Lyon now await in the quarter-finals and there should be no fears about facing the sixth-best team in France. With the Premier League campaign now irrelevant, it is in Europe where this team can avoid the shame of becoming only the second United team in more than 40 years not to qualify for Europe.

If they were feeling the pressure, then chief executive Omar Berrada raised the stakes pre-match. "Our ambition is to win tonight and win the Europe League and be in the Champions League which is where I think we belong," he said.

You can't argue with that. In a week when the prospect of Old Trafford being razed to the ground edged closer, it was a reminder that it's a venue that deserves Champions League football. But first it needs a team good enough to play Champions League football.

This crop clearly aren't there yet, but the signs might just be pointing in the right direction. This was some of the best and most enterprising football they have produced in 27 games under Amorim.

The move that led to United's first penalty exploited the space this system can create. Casemiro's first-time balls over a defence have long been a trademark, this one found Bruno Fernandes raiding forward from deep. Rasmus Hojlund was stationed perfectly in that classic centre-forward position and would probably have scored but for Igor Zubeldia's desperate tackle.

It was a sign of things to come. United looked better in the second half against Arsenal at the weekend but that was a game plan based on counter attacks, as Amorim had admitted. This was a performance built on having the ball and it was both slick and enterprising.

One probing first-half move saw United control the ball for so long that every outfield player was within 35 yards of the Real Sociedad goal. Had it ended in a goal it would have been ruled out for offside, but the fact it resulted in a good chance for Hojlund was encouraging.

Often it was the little things that felt encouraging. The excellent Ayden Heaven combining with Patrick Dorgu to initiate attacks down the left. Hojlund making a run into the channel to receive a Dorgu pass and turn defence into attack. Casemiro's class on the ball was again evident, his passes so often opening up space for attacking players.

United's second penalty again came at the end of a sharp move. There was a spell of keep ball around the edge of the area before Fernandes fired a pass into Hojlund. He laid it off to Joshua Zirkzee and although Alex Remiro made a sharp save, Dorgu was felled as he got on the rebound and Fernandes converted again.

Zirkzee deserved a goal for his performance. He continues to look better as a No.10 and his vision was clear in the pass that sent Dorgu clear on goal. It was perfectly weighted and invited the foul from Jon Aramburu that ended his night just seven minutes after coming on.

United were never threatened after that. Garnacho sent Fernandes away for his hat-trick and although a goal again eluded Hojlund, he did get an assist. Dalot slammed his finish into the roof of the net and then checked his pulse. This season is still beating.