Southampton 0-0 Manchester United

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho had his second-choice goalkeeper Sergio Romero to thank for avoiding a third straight defea when his side drew 0-0 against Southampton on Wednesday night.

The Argentine, who will be between the posts in Stockholm when United face Ajax in the Europa League final a week on from the Saints draw, was called into action early to deny the southerners a goal from the penalty spot and made save some crucial saves throughout to keep the clash goalless.

The Saints started brightly and, after only five minutes, were handed a golden chance to take the lead when a handball was given against Eric Bailly, playing out of position at right back, in the box.

Up stepped Southampton’s star January signing Manolo Gabbiadini who, having scored a brace against Mourinho’s side in the EFL Cup Final at Wembley earlier this season, will have been feeling confident. However, his fairly tame effort to the bottom left was well saved by United’s second-choice stopper, Sergio Romero.

There will, though, have been a sense of justice in the away dugout with replays later showing that Bailly handled the ball outside the United penalty area.

The miss seemed to put the visitors at ease as they frustrated the Saints, who were unable to give the penalty taker anything with which to redeem himself.

Claude Puel will have been frustrated at the break, with his side having enjoyed the better of halves without managing to find a breakthrough and his team showed his frustration after the interval with first Dusan Tadic stinging the gloves of Romero before Oriol Romeu had a go within ten minutes of the restart.

Having twice gone close the hosts turned up the pressure and, after a fine move around the box, Matt Targett’s deflected cross found James Ward-Prowse on the edge of the area.

The England international whipped an effort goalwards forcing a wonderful diving save from Romero to tip the ball around the post for a corner.

The chances missed so nearly cost Puel’s side after some sloppy play out wide allowed Chris Smalling of all people to break quickly down the right hand side before finding Rooney whose lay off to Juan Mata set up a chance which looked a formality for the Spaniard, who could only bend it around the far post.

After Mourinho’s side had passed up their first clear cut chance of the game, they once again had someone at the back to thank for keeping it level as Phil Jones blocked well from Ward-Prowse’s volley.

With the game opening up in stark contrast to the first Anthony Martial drove with intent at the Saints defence for the first time of the night before curling a decent effort onto the post of Fraser Forster’s goal.

After a flurry of chances there was little to speak of from both sides and the game petered out into the goalless draw it always promised to be. The result, however, will not matter a single bit to Mourinho who will see ninety minutes without a serious injury to any of his players as a big a victory as three points.

With that in mind, here are THREE things we learned from Southampton v Manchester United…