Manchester United have won their first UEFA Europa League game of the season after a 2-0 win over PAOK.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy has won and drawn his opening two games as manager of Manchester United but it is the Red Devils’ first victory in the UEFA Europa League in his third match in charge.
Amad Diallo took his goal well with a brilliant looping header after a Bruno Fernandes cross.
The Ivorian then made it two for the Red Devils late on with a beautiful curling effort. Here are five things we learned from United’s win against PAOK at Old Trafford.
Amad Diallo takes his chance
Prior to this game against PAOK, United’s wing pairing of Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford had not worked at all and fans were demanding Amad start.
Van Nistelrooy listened to the fans’ suggestions and the Ivorian took his chance with a brilliant looping header after a fine Bruno Fernandes cross.
Amad was tricky, proactive and dangerous and caused PAOK problems. Late in the second half, Amad scored a superb second to wrap up the victory.
Going forward, Amad has to be given more chances to start under new manager Ruben Amorim.
Rasmus Hojlund struggles to get involved
The consistent problem with the Red Devils during the current campaign has been their ability to put the ball into the back of the net.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s United struggled to create chances outside of Amad’s creativity and striker Rasmus Hojlund has struggled throughout the campaign and struggled again tonight.
With Amad and Garnacho on either side, Hojlund was not getting fed many chances and dropped deeper and deeper to receive the ball.
Manuel Ugarte continues to impress
After a slow start to life at Old Trafford, Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte is starting to show United shelled out so much money for the former Sporting Lisbon midfielder.
Ugarte was mopping up in the middle of the park against the Greek side and they struggled to get past the strong defensive midfielder.
Ugarte and Casemiro is looking to be a solid defensive unit but the question will be where Kobbie Mainoo comes in when he returns.
Victor Lindelof proves his worth
Whilst the attacking football on display from the Red Devils was certainly not one of the most inspiring, the defensive solidity was there for all to see.
With Leny Yoro and Harry Maguire out injured, Victor Lindelof has been a more than reliable stand-in and the Swedish defender proved that once again.
Lindelof was good on the ball and snuffed out any chances that came from the Greek side on a rather dull night at Old Trafford.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy’s unbeaten interim run continues
Whilst these four fixtures don’t represent the toughest test of Van Nistelrooy’s managerial credentials, it has certainly been a positive few weeks for the Red Devils under the Dutchman.
After United lost 2-1 to West Ham United in the Premier League, things were looking bleak under Erik ten Hag but Van Nistelrooy has steadied the ship.
Whilst the excitement about Amorim is palpable, fans should not forget Van Nistelrooy’s impact and the incoming Portuguese manager would be wise to keep the Dutchman within his ranks.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/PWJbImh