Manchester United defeated Rangers 2-1 at Old Trafford in the Europa League on Thursday night thanks to a dramatic last-gasp winner from Bruno Fernandes.
The home side took the lead in the 51st minute after former United goalkeeper Jack Butland punched Christian Eriksen’s wicked corner into his net.
It was largely comfortable for United, but with just two minutes of regulation time to go, the Scottish outfit found an equalising goal against the run of play when Cyriel Dessers fired home in clinical fashion after Harry Maguire misjudged the flight of the ball.
However, Fernandes would have the final say as he latched on to a brilliant Lisandro Martinez pass to score in the 92nd minute and snatch a crucial victory for the hosts.
An unbeaten United moved up to fourth in the Europa League group phase standings, within touching distance of a place in the knockout stages.
With lots to discuss from a tumultuous night in Manchester, here are five talking points.
Bruno saves the day
Manchester United’s skipper was at his usual best in midfield, dictating the flow and being at the heart of everything good that his side produced.
The Portuguese playmaker popped up in injury time to volley home a fantastic winning goal in front of the Stretford End – sparking jubilant scenes amongst the home faithful.
It really is a frightening prospect to imagine where United would be without their MVP, and the 30-year-old showed once again that he can still produce those clutch moments when it matters most.
Let’s hope the former Sporting star can keep up this form as he approaches his fifth anniversary since joining the Old Trafford club.
Collyer shows his worth on his European debut
It was a first start in the Europa League for Toby Collyer, and the young Englishman didn’t put a foot wrong all evening.
The ex-Brighton academy prospect had his best game in a United shirt, putting in a busy, hard-working performance during his 72 minutes on the pitch.
He did the simple things well, which his manager will no doubt appreciate.
Collyer has staked his claim to be considered as United’s third-choice central midfielder behind Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo.
It will be intriguing to see if he gets more opportunities to start after this fine showing.
United fared far better from corners
Corner-kicks have posed a significant problem for United this season, especially from a defensive standpoint. But there was a clear improvement in defence and attack.
Matthijs de Ligt saw a fine header from an Amad Diallo set-piece harshly disallowed in the first half after Leny Yoro was deemed to have fouled his man.
Butland then failed to deal with a well-delivered ball from Eriksen to open the scoring on 51 minutes.
This is a big positive to take away from the game, and Amorim will hope this will continue as he strives to improve his side’s set-piece woes.
Bayindir does well again on his return to the starting XI
Andre Onana committed another high-profile error that led to a goal in the last league game against Brighton.
The Cameroonian had a shaky month in December, and his form has done nothing to appease the sceptics amongst the fanbase.
Altay Bayindir was one of the standout performers in the recent FA Cup win at Arsenal, and he did his prospects no harm against the Glasgow side with another assured display.
The 6”6 former Fenerbahce goalkeeper didn’t manage to keep a clean sheet, but he may well have done enough to have played himself into contention for United’s next game against Fulham on Sunday.
It will be interesting to see if Amorim recalls Onana to the line-up or decides to stick with the 26-year-old Turk.
Distasteful scenes as Rangers fans appear in the home end at Old Trafford
There were smatterings of away fans littered around the home sections of Old Trafford which caused unsavoury scenes in the stands.
The Scottish visitors worryingly managed to get their hands on numerous ‘home’ tickets in what would ordinarily be a segregated stadium.
Ugly scenes ensued late in the game with fights breaking out amongst rival supporters and objects being thrown in a very messy situation.
After experiencing similar issues during a Champions League tie against Galatasaray in October 2023, United supporters will be rightly outraged at how this was allowed to happen again.
The club must address this matter as soon as possible before something drastic potentially happens during future matches.
Manchester United dominated for long periods on Thursday but how did you rate the Red Devils’ performance overall as they grabbed a late, late victory?
Let us know in the comments or across our social channels.
Recent Posts
- Manchester United looking to extend Europa League run in Romania
- The evolving Ineos transfer policy at Manchester United
- The Harry Maguire redemption arc under Ruben Amorim
Leave a Reply