Patrick Dorgu's immediate reaction to referee's Man Utd howler speaks volumes
Manchester United and Real Sociedad were given three penalties between them at Old Trafford and the Red Devils thought they had a fourth only for Patrick Dorgu to make a gesture of fair play
by Daniel Orme · The MirrorPatrick Dorgu played a part in Manchester United’s late penalty against Real Sociedad being chalked off with an extraordinary gesture.
The Red Devils beat the Spanish side 4-1 on Thursday night in the Europa League, sealing an aggregate success, and with it a place in the quarter-finals. Most action came from 12 yards as Mikel Oyarzabal netted an early penalty, with Bruno Fernandes replying with a spot kick of his own.
The Portuguese playmaker then scored a second penalty after half-time. United thought Fernandes had the chance to seal a hat-trick from the spot late on as Dorgu tripped over after a challenge from Hamari Traore - albeit there was very little contact.
Referee Benoit Bastien initially pointed to the spot. But he quickly changed his mind upon a VAR check.
Dorgu appeared to have plenty of say on the decision as he walked up to the official and said “no penalty”. On the gesture, United boss Amorim said: "It depends. Is the right thing to do so I'm quite proud of him. I cannot say if it's 0-0 or losing I have same response. He did a great performance. In that position he had the physicality, he is clearly able to play in our league."
That gesture certainly earned praise from fans, who took to social media with their thoughts. One supporter said: “It’s a shame this kind of thing is so rare in football, brilliant sportsmanship,” while another added: “Great sportsmanship. Good kid.”
Another wasn’t totally convinced though. They said: “Good sportsmanship for owning it, but he blatantly dived and probably knew he wasn’t getting away with it," alongside a laughing emoji.
Former Man United coach Rene Meulensteen also hailed the defender for his actions, as well as his performance. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, he said: “You can see more and more why Amorim wanted Patrick Dorgu. He gets in good positions, he has a good cross on him and he could have won another penalty, but it wasn't given.”
Who was Man United's man-of-the-match vs Real Sociedad? Share your thoughts in the comments below
The chalked off penalty was not the only incident that Dorgu was involved in. He was also at the heart of the clash that saw Real Sociedad reduced to ten men.
A defence splitting pass from Joshua Zirkzee found its way to the defender, who had a free run at goal. But he was then taken down by Jon Aramburu, who was quickly sent off.
The cancelled penalty did not come back to bite Ruben Amorim’s side either, with Fernandes sealing the matchball with a third goal late on. Diogo Dalot then got in on the goalscoring action in stoppage time.
United will hope there is less penalty drama in their next Europa League game having already found out their quarter-final opponents. They will take on French side Lyon in the last eight.
Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Sky Sports deal
Sky Sports launches discounted Premier League package
£35 (was £43)
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £192 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.