MANCHESTER UNITED 5-2 LEICESTER CITY: Interim Manchester United manager Ruud van Nistelrooy made a winning start to lead his team into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals
MANCHESTER UNITED 5-2 LEICESTER CITY: Interim Manchester United manager Ruud van Nistelrooy made a winning start to lead his team into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals MANCHESTER UNITED 5-2 LEICESTER CITY: Interim Manchester United manager Ruud van Nistelrooy made a winning start to lead his team into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals
The Ruud van Nistelrooy era began in fine style, with Manchester United brushing Leicester City aside in the Carabao Cup.
Goals were at a premium in the first half, with Casemiro and Alejandro Garnacho on target to open up a two-goal lead before Bilal El Khannouss pulled one back. Bruno Fernandes got United’s third with a deflected free-kick before Casemiro added his second, with Conor Coady making it 4-2 at the break.
It got even better after the break as captain Fernandes scored his second of the game. That did for the Foxes, while seeing United march on to the quarter-finals.
Van Nistelrooy is expected to remain in charge for Sunday’s match against Chelsea as United wait for Ruben Amorim. On the strength of this, the Blues may well be worried about their rivals’ attacking power.
Van Nistelrooy made four changes to the side beaten in Erik ten Hag’s final game on Sunday. Casemiro and Fernandes were among those to keep their places, though, and the trust was rewarded.
The first goal of the game was the most impressive, a long-range screamer from Casemiro which gave Leicester keeper Danny Ward no chance. Van Nistelrooy would have been impressed with the fluid attacking play for the second as well, though, as Diogo Dalot fed Garnacho to fire home.
United still had issues at the back, but their firepower in front of goal ensured they weren’t made to pay. Here are Mirror Football ‘s talking points from a thriller at Old Trafford.
1. Three in two for Casemiro
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Casemiro had scored twice in the same game for Manchester United on just two occasions before the Leicester game. First against Reading in the 2022-23 FA Cup, and then against Bayern Munich in last season’s Champions League.
He’s not a man known for his goalscoring – there was just one in his final season as a Real Madrid player – but both efforts were the kind you’d expect from someone more prolific While his first was a standout moment, his second showed the same poacher’s instincts on show against West Ham on Sunday
United will have decisions to make on their midfield once everyone is fully fit and their new manager has his feet under the table, with Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mout among those absent. In this game, Casemiro made his case as well as he could have hoped.
2. Bruno finally off the mark
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By Bruno Fernandes’ high standards, this season has been a disappointment. Many will point to his two red cards, even if one of those was later overturned, but his lack of goals has been just as worrying.
That scoreless run finally ended on Wednesday, as his free-kick flicked off the head of James Justin and wrong-footed Ward. If he was worried about that goal being taken away from him, there were no question marks when he netted again around the hour mark.
Fernandes has scored against Chelsea in each of the last two seasons, including a penalty in a 4-1 win in 2023. He’ll hope he can add another this weekend now that he’s off the mark for the new season.
3. Bayindir found wanting
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It won’t matter a great deal given the result, but it wasn’t the most confident display from Altay Bayindir. The Turkish international came in for the rested Andre Onana, but didn’t convince in the opening 45 minutes.
His attempt to claim a high ball into the box in the lead-up to Leicester’s first goal wasn’t the most convincing, though it needed a fine finish from El Khannouss to beat him. There was another uncertain bit of handling before the break, though he couldn’t have done anything to prevent Coady’s goal at the end of the first half.
This was just the third game for Bayindir in a United shirt. While even goalkeepers need to get themselves into a rhythm before finding their best form, there wasn’t much to suggest he’s close to displacing Onana.
4. Ugarte growing into the game
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It was a tough start to the game for Manuel Ugarte, who slow tracking Jordan Ayew as the pair battled it out midway through the first half and brought the Ghanaian down with a lazy swing of a leg. The Uruguayan’s lack of pace appeared just as much of a concern as the foul, though things did eventually pick up.
Ugarte’s tough tackling served him well with Sporting CP, and was on show at times as United looked to win the ball high up the pitch. There’s still work to be done, but it’s worth remembering he didn’t have a proper pre-season before joining the club.
“We have to stay patient but, as you see, if the quality in that position is not right it’s very difficult for a team to control games,” former boss Ten Hag said of the midfielder. He’ll hope the arrival of a man who knows him well in the form of Amorim can help speed along his development.
5. Van Nistelrooy up and running
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One of the characteristics of Ten Hag’s final season and a bit was a failure to stem the tide after opponents scored once. A solution to that, of course, is to just keep scoring yourself.
While he was an attacking threat as a player at Old Trafford, there was no guarantee he’d be able to oversee the same kind of attacking football from the touchline. United have struggled to create in the league this term, but had no such difficulties under Van Nistelrooy in the cup.
It remains to be seen how long United’s interim boss will remain in the dugout, with a start date yet to be set for manager-elect Ruben Amorim. For now, though, all he can try to do is produce results like this one.
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