Manchester United faced off against Valencia at Old Trafford earlier tonight looking to bounce back from their 3-1 defeat versus West Ham United last weekend. It was the away side who began the contest on the front foot. They dominated the midfield to create some good chances during the first half. However, Valencia’s final pass often let them down in the attacking third which saw them go in level at the half-time break.
Both teams fought hard but couldn’t find a decisive goal in the second half. The match ended 0-0 with both sides living to fight another day.
Let’s take a look at how each Manchester United player performed during the contest against Valencia.
GK: David De Gea – 6/10
The Spanish goalie hardly had anything to do in the game with the Valencia frontline failing to test him enough during the game.
RB: Antonio Valencia – 4.5/10
He looked a bit off the pace and couldn’t make an impact going forward. Another disappointing showing from the United captain.
CB: Eric Bailly – 7/10
The United centre-back kept things stable at the back and neutralised the threat of Rodrigo and Michy Batshuayi well during the match.
CB: Chris Smalling – 6/10
He kept his composure at the centre of the United defence and did enough to come away with a clean sheet from the encounter.
LB: Luke Shaw – 6/10
He had a decent outing while operating on the left wing. However, he was unable to make a significant contribution in the opposition half.
CM: Marouane Fellaini – 5/10
The Belgian big man couldn’t do much with the ball and was used as a target man during the latter stages of the contest.
CM: Nemanja Matic – 5/10
The Serbian worked hard in midfield and provided some added cover to the Red Devils’ backline. However, his distribution was mediocre, and he struggled to retain possession at the middle of the pitch.
CM: Paul Pogba – 5/10
The French midfielder was average at best during the game. He is looking like a shadow of his former self and lacked the hunger to make a difference in the attacking third.
RM: Alexis Sánchez – 4/10
The Chilean winger failed to contribute in a meaningful way while operating in and around the Valencia penalty box. He was rightfully subbed in the second half, much to the delight of many inside Old Trafford.
ST: Romelu Lukaku – 5/10
The Belgian centre-forward worked hard for the team but squandered some good chances to score.
LM: Marcus Rashford – 6/10
The English youngster was United’s brightest spark in the Valencia half and was unlucky not to score on the night.
Substitutes:
RM: Anthony Martial – 6/10
He almost won a penalty after coming off the bench.
