Manchester United played hosts to Astana earlier tonight hoping to kick off their UEFA Europa League campaign with a victory at Old Trafford. The Red Devils dominated the game in the first half but failed to breakdown their opponents from Kazakhstan.
The second half was more of the same with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the Astana defence. Mason Greenwood finally made the breakthrough in the 73rd minute when he scored his first goal for the Mancunian outfit with a clever finish. Man United managed to see off the match and secured maximum points in front of their home supporters.
The Europa League contest finished with the final scoreline of 1-0 in favour of the Red Devils after the full-time whistle.
Let’s take a look at how each Man United player performed during the match against Astana.
GK: Sergio Romero – 6/10
The Argentine keeper did his job when called into action. However, he was hardly troubled during the game as Astana were mostly busy defending for their lives inside their own half.
RB: Diogo Dalot – 5/10
He tried too hard to make a positive impact down the right flank, but his final delivery let him down more often than not during the game.
CB: Axel Tuanzebe – 6/10
The youngster commanded his own penalty area well and put in a composed display at the heart of the Man United backline.
CB: Phil Jones – 5/10
The English defender took a few rash decisions at the back. To his credit, Jones did make an excellent last-ditch challenge to bail his team out in the first half.
LB: Marcos Rojo – 6/10
The Argentine talent didn’t have too much defending to do during the contest. He showed some glimpses of his brilliance when in possession of the ball which includes a shot from long-range as well as a rabona attempt.
CM: Fred – 7/10
The Brazilian managed to establish his side’s dominance at the centre of the park. He managed to dictate play and create chances for his teammates going forward. Fred even got an assist to show for his efforts.
CM: Nemanja Matic – 5/10
The Serbian international slowed the tempo down and didn’t showcase enough invention with his passes in the Astana half.
RM: Mason Greenwood – 8/10
The 17-year-old was one of Solskjaer’s most creative players on the field. He kept trying and never gave up in the second half. Greenwood scored his debut goal for the Red Devils with a clinical finish which was enough to make the difference on the night.
CAM: Angel Gomes – 6/10
He was always willing to get involved and displayed some neat touches in and around the Astana penalty area. However, Gomes was also guilty of throwing away possession quite a few times during the game.
LM: Tahith Chong – 5/10
The Man United rising star had a tough game as he failed to threaten the Astana defenders in the final third.
ST: Marcus Rashford – 4/10
The English striker came close to scoring but was denied by a terrific save from the Astana keeper. He looked like a player out of form, and it showed in his performance tonight.
Substitutes:
CAM: Juan Mata – 6/10
The Spaniard retained possession quite effectively but lacked the cutting edge in the offensive end of the field.
RM: Jesse Lingard – 6/10
He tested the opposition keeper with a fantastic attempt from long range.
LB: Ashley Young – 6/10
The veteran defender did well to see out the victory for his team.
