Manchester United survived a second-half scare to win 4-2 at Elland Road, as substitutes Fred and Anthony Elanga both found the net in the final 20 minutes.
United shot into a two-nil lead before the break thanks to goals from Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes, but Leeds responded in the second half.
Quickfire goals from both Rodrigo and Raphinha had pulled Marcelo Bielsa’s side level before Fred and Elanga ensured all three points returned to M16.
FIRST HALF – UNITED GO TWO UP
It was the hosts who carved open the first real chance of the game after just five minutes, as Mateusz Klich cleverly found Jack Harrison unmarked with a lofted through pass. The Whites’ no.22 failed to trouble David De Gea however, firing his effort wide of the mark.
Paul Pogba then took aim shortly after, with the Frenchman driving forward from the right before releasing a low drive that was smartly gathered by Illan Meslier in the Leeds goal.
Adam Forshaw then troubled De Gea, as the home side’s no.4 steadied himself well before stinging our Spaniard’s palms with his venomous drive.
Pogba worked his magic down the left flank to get to the byline and pick out Cristiano Ronaldo just before the half-hour mark, with our no.7 denied superbly by Meslier to keep the scores level.
Fernandes tried his luck from the edge of the area in another attempt to test the Whites’ ever-busy shot-stopper, forcing the 21-year-old to push his effort out for a corner.
And from the resulting set-piece the Reds took the lead, Shaw’s wicked out-swinging delivery was superbly met by his countryman Maguire as he headed home only his second goal of the season and United’s first from a corner of 2021/22.
As the half-time whistle approached it was Rangnick’s men who began to take a strong foothold in the game.
Jadon Sancho did well to find a yard of space but unfortunately failed to find the target, blazing over, as the assistant referee signalled six additional minutes in the Yorkshire rain, primarily due to the stoppage required to treat Robin Koch’s head injury, with the German later forced off because of it.
In the last minute of time added on, United had a second. Slick build-up play involving both Victor Lindelof and Sancho allowed the latter to pick out an unmarked Fernandes, who nodded home.
You must be logged in to post a comment.