Manchester United won against Rangers in the absolute final phase on Thursday evening. The Red Devils took the lead after a big mistake by Jack Butland, then saw how substitute Cyriel Dessers scored in the 88ste scored the equalizer in a minute, but were allowed to thank Bruno Fernandes for the winning goal in minute 92: 2-1. Manchester United rises to fourth place due to the victory; Rangers drops to thirteenth place.
Amorim had reserved a place at kick-off for Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martínez and Joshua Zirkzee, among others. Tyrell Malacia was on the bench, just like André Onana. Antony, who is about to complete a loan move to Real Betis, also started the game at Old Trafford as a substitute. Marcus Rashford was in the stands. The visitors included Robin Pröpper and Vaclav Cerny. Dessers was sitting on the couch.
Manchester United started the match well, although Rangers immediately had a huge chance after ten minutes. Ridvan Yilmaz should have given his team the lead from close range, but saw how Altay Bayindir turned his volley. The Red Devils dominated possession and repeatedly targeted the enemy goal through Alejandro Garnacho, among others. De Ligt did the same after almost 25 minutes.
The marker headed Amad Diallo’s corner into the short corner, but the referee immediately canceled the goal due to a light push from Leny Yoro in the back of Pröpper. That seemed a bit harshly punished, although the VAR on duty supported that decision.
De Ligt remained in the dressing room after the break. He was replaced by Harry Maguire. Both teams continued to create chances after the start of the second act. Hamza Igamane prevented a corner from Diallo from flying into the goal, after which substitute Bailey Rice shot high after the subsequent counter. Butland made a nasty mistake a few minutes later.
Christian Eriksen took a turning corner and was surprised to see that the Rangers keeper suddenly hit it into his own goal. Butland wanted to block the corner, but got the ball on the top of his hand and knocked it into his own goal: 1-0. Manchester United’s lead was deserved given the look of the game. Malacia came in for Yoro after just under an hour. Diogo Dalot therefore moved to the right flank of the defense.
-The home team should have scored the second goal of the evening through Maguire moments later. The substitute defender was unable to get Eriksen’s free kick on target and saw his effort fly wide. Maguire should have taken that chance, because despite the fact that Manchester United was the better team, it remained exciting with a margin of only one in the last twenty minutes. Rangers coach Philippe Clement brought on Dessers to force something in the final phase of the match.
Butland made up for his mistake more than ten minutes before the end by reversing Manuel Ugarte’s header. Immediately afterwards Zirkzee went to the side. The Dutchman was replaced by Rasmus Højlund. With the Danish striker on the field, Manchester United got away very well after Dessers, who got to the ball before Bayindir, hit the post. However, the former Feyenoord player was offside in the run-up to that chance, which meant that a goal would not have happened anyway.
Dessers did get on the scoreboard a little later. The striker was at the end of a great pass from right back James Tavernier, took the ball and shot hard and low with his left under Bayindir: 1-1.
Rangers therefore seemed on their way to a point at Old Trafford, but Fernandes did not let that happen. The captain of the Mancunians was born in the 92ste minute by minute by Martínez and shot between Butland’s legs: 2-1.
