The new coach of Manchester United, Ruben Amorim, came up against the promoted and currently relegated Ipswich (1-1) for his first match on the bench of the “Red Devils”, Sunday in the Premier League.
The 39-year-old Portuguese, who arrived on November 11, was treated to a dream start when Marcus Rashford scored after 81 seconds (2nd, 0-1), but Omari Hutchinson played spoilsport (43rd, 1-1 ).
Six points off the podium
In the standings, this fourth draw of the season (against 4 victories and 4 defeats) keeps the “Red Devils” in twelfth place, six points from the podium.
The former Sporting coach will have another chance next Sunday at Old Trafford against another poorly ranked Everton.
At Portman Road, he aligned as expected a three-way defense, with Diogo Dalot, Jonny Evans and Matthijs De Ligt, and chose to align winger Marcus Rashford at the forefront of the attack, rather than the N. 9 Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee.
The choice to (re)launch Rashford, in poor form for a year and a half, was daring and it paid off in the second minute, when the England international victoriously took over a cross from Amad Diallo.
But Manchester United was not able to kill the match, nor to dominate a long-term opponent.
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The young winger Hutchinson, pivoting in front of Casemiro, equalized by curling a marvelous strike, under the eyes of singer Ed Sheeran, a long-time supporter of the “Tractor Boys”.
The Mancunians could even have tasted defeat without decisive saves from André Onana in front of Sammie Szmodics (11th), Liam Delap (40th) and Conor Chaplin (87th).
