Former Manchester United striker Michael Owen didn’t get his prediction right after he backed the Red Devils to beat Villarreal in the Europa League final. In his column for BetVictor, Michael Owen said his former club will beat Villarreal 2-1 to lift the Europa League trophy for only the second time in their history.

Ex-Liverpool, Real Madrid and Newcastle United attacker Michael Owen expected Manchester United to add to the Europa League trophy won in 2017 while Jose Mourinho was their manager but Villarreal manager Unai Emery and his players had other ideas. The Yellow Submarines defied the odds to beat Manchester United thanks to penalties.

The Yellow Submarines took the lead through topscorer Gerard Moreno in the first half off a floated free-kick. The Spanish international took his goal tally to 30 in all competitions with the strike that gave his team a slim advantage at the break. The advantage was cancelled by in-form EdinsonCavaniearly in the second half and Villarreal had to withstand incessant pressure from the Red Devils in the minutes that followed the United goal scored by Cavani. Cavani and Rashford could have scored a second goal for the Red Devils but Villarreal survived to take the game into extra time.

Villarreal were the better team in extra time though they rarely threatened the United goal as the two teams settled for penalties. The two sides scored each of their first ten penalties till it got to the turn of the goalkeepers. Villarreal shot stopper Geronimo Rulli gave his Manchester United counterpart David De Gea no chance with his perfectly taken penalty before he went on to save the spot kick from De Gea to win the Europa League trophy for his team. Until the Europa League win, Villarreal had never won a major trophy on the European continent.