Wayne Rooney lifts the trophy for Man Utd and takes it towards the fans. Ajax are committed to playing out from the back and Sanchez receives the ball from the goalkeeper with players charging him down. Rashford comes forward, dribbles around Riedewald but then goes down.
It's quite a jump going from the mental process of dealing with and thinking about those events and then straight into a game of sport. Some supporters can't stay silent for longer than five seconds and so the stadium announcer improvises and changes things to a minute's applause. Ziyech and while Marcus Rashford did not have his most impressive game, his willingness and running unsettled the Ajax defence. Ajax try to counter... and pass directly to a United player. "People talk a lot about possession but a team with 30 per cent is dominating here". Great chance to score here. The obvious answer is Rashford, who will play on the shoulder of the last man and look to sprint onto anything and everything sent his way. He raised four fingers in celebration. United will sit back and hit on the counter-attack all half now - what a great time for them to score. And it's a horrible goal to concede. Rio Ferdinand is surprised that Jesse Lingard doesn't start, pointing out that he tends to do well - and score - in finals. Somehow that's a free-kick to United. It's time for United to batten down the hatches! United and Mourinho felt they had to for so many reasons.

United have almost everyone back in their on box defending. Here comes Wayne Rooney. Rashford is coming over to the left side and looking to run into the channel.

Every man behind the ball, the wingers ready to break, the striker patiently biding his time to run onto a direct pass. A free-kick? The game plan is spot on: put balls over the top to trouble the high Ajax defensive line, play direct passes and be physical. But this is not about romance and there was a vintage Mourinho post-match pronouncement when he said “poets don’t win many trophies”. But Mourinho knew exactly what Ajax would do and knew he would prey on their callowness, their risk-taking and their inexperience. They have a corner. Mkhitaryan fouls again - his fourth one - and is now booked for it. And now we can see the Ajax shape! That's what the passing lanes should like for patient possession but instead the player on the ball never has anyone to pass to! It meant Dolberg’s first touch was to restart the game after Pogba’s goal although eventually Ajax began to threaten.
Mourinho calmly nodded his approval. He might also be moved on in the summer so this would be his last game... Ajax are getting into their rhythm (a little) now, mixing up the short and direct passes. Make Manchester proud. There's a talking point here - both Carrick and Rooney might not play for United again after this match and they only have one substitution left. Ajax win a corner as Traore tries to dribble around about 20 United defenders in the box. European final, they won for the fifth time with the official man of the match Ander Herrera dedicating it to the victims of the bombing while also speaking of his relief at winning. Oooohhh that is a chance for United! Mata puts in a bad challenge near the corner and suddenly Ajax players surround Herrera on the sidelines.

As expected, Fellaini starts for United then. They know what they're supposed to be doing tactically and shape wise but don't have their heads in the game. Jesse Lingard has just burst on to a Pogba header and burned away from the last man in defence, getting all the way to the penalty area. ... (@_PaulHayward) May 24, 2017. So United's tactic, far from sitting back and defending in numbers is to push Ajax back and put the ball over the top of their own high line. Smalling jumps highest to head the ball on and the Armenian improvises a volley over his head and into the back of the net. That's awful play and Ajax really need to sort themselves out.