United eliminated Roma 8-5 on aggregate to reach the Europa League final, becoming the second team in the club's history to score eight or more goals in two legs of the semi-finals, behind Alaves, who scored nine goals against Kaiserslautern in 2000/02. Of those eight goals, four came from Uruguayan striker Edgar Cavani, who scored twice in both legs.
The data shows that Cavani has scored 16 goals in his last 15 Europa League games, including 15 in his last 10 starts, and is an out-and-out Europa League goal expert. He was also the first player to score two dollars in both legs of the European semi-finals after Alofs in Cologne in 1985/86.
In addition, Cavani also continued his Rome nemesis record, scoring 13 times in all competitions, second only to the 15 goals scored against Monaco. At the Olympic Stadium, Cavani scored with a head-to-foot kick, but the running position before the goal was even more commendable, and Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said after the game that the club would keep Cavani.
"We were able to reach the final because we had a centre-forward who scored four goals over two legs." "Edinson (Edinson) has once again shown why we left him at Old Trafford. Football is a language, and Edinson proved not only tonight, but previous games and even his entire career that what to do with the ball and without the ball in the center, as well as in pre-match preparation and post-match recovery. He's definitely a top professional player and everyone in my squad can learn from him."
In addition to the running position, Cavani also has a feature that other Manchester United centre-forwards do not have, and that is his fighting spirit. Before being replaced by Marcus Rashford, the Uruguayan striker paid for a yellow card to tie the throats of his young teammate Mason Greenwood, pushing away Roma full-back Karlstop who tried to bully him.
Manchester United star Owen Hargreaves praised Cardazzo, insisting he must get a new contract and replace Martial as the main centre-forward. Scholes and Leo Ferdinand both agreed, but both also stressed that United could not miss other outstanding centre-forwards, as the Uruguayan centre-forward is over 34 years old after all.
Scholes said: "United must sign a centre-forward who is suitable for the next 5 years. I'm talking about Kane or Harland level. Cavani's pace will slow down, and fitness and injuries may also have problems. He hasn't been able to play a lot of games this season, but when he plays, he always scores. Then, you say other players can stand up for the center? I really can't see it. When you talk about the center, I see Kane and Haaland. Martial, Greenwood and Marcus Rashford, I don't think they're centre-forwards, they're wingers."