Sunderland stuns United as UCL dream fades

Louis van Gaal conceded that Manchester United may need to win the Europa League to qualify for next season’s Champions League after a 2-1 defeat at Sunderland on Saturday.

Bidding to close the six-point gap separating them from the Champions League places, United fell behind in the third minute when Wahbi Khazri’s free-kick from wide on the Sunderland left crept in.

Anthony Martial levelled before half-time, but an unfortunate 82nd-minute own goal by United goalkeeper David de Gea gifted Sunderland the points and increased the pressure on embattled United manager Van Gaal.

“It will be very difficult now (to finish in the top four) because we give five points away, Chelsea and now,” Van Gaal said, referencing last weekend’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea. “It’s too much at this time.”

United face Danish side FC Midtjylland in the Europa League last 32 next week and Van Gaal agreed when it was put to him that his side’s best chance of reaching the Champions League is to win the competition.

“After this match, I think that is the best route,” he told BT Sport at the Stadium of Light.

Compounding United’s misery, Italian right-back Matteo Darmian sustained a dislocated left shoulder that Van Gaal said would keep him out for “several weeks”.

Khazri had set up Jermain Defoe for a late equaliser in Sunderland’s 2-2 draw at Liverpool and he made an early impression on his home debut with a free-kick that eluded everyone to nestle in the bottom-right corner.

United built up a head of steam and equalised in the 39th minute when Martial artfully dinked in his 10th goal of the season after Vito Mannone had parried Juan Mata’s low shot.

But second-bottom Sunderland regained the lead when the unmarked Lamine Kone met Khazri’s right-wing corner with a powerful header that found the net after Martial’s attempted clearance came back off De Gea’s elbow.

United were last week reported to have approached Jose Mourinho about succeeding Van Gaal.

The Dutchman has described the story as a media invention and when asked if he felt like Saturday’s result had put him under more pressure, he replied: “No.”