United 5 Leicester 2

Manchester United 5 Leicester City 2

Wednesday 30 October 2024 21:46

Manchester United put on a real show on the night Ruud van Nistelrooy led the team out as interim head coach, brushing Leicester City aside in the Carabao Cup.

After hitting seven in the previous round, past Barnsley, the Reds racked up four more in the first half alone here. Casemiro got two of them, with Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes also on the scoresheet.

Yet it was 4-2 at the break, a very rare occurrence in our history, thanks to replies from Bilal El Khannous and Conor Coady.

The second half was probably never going to be as entertaining as the first, but Fernandes struck his second to ensure a lively atmosphere was maintained on a night van Nistelrooy must have treasured.

Ruud's grand entrance Video

Watch the moment van Nistelrooy received a wonderful ovation from the adoring Old Trafford fans...

FIRST HALF - SIX GOALS!

It took 15 minutes for United to register our first shot on target but it was well worth the wait. Garnacho's pass inside was dummied by Fernandes and, encouraged to shoot by the fans, Casemiro duly obliged with a 25-yard rocket that flew in off the underside of the bar.

The lead was doubled on 28 minutes when Diogo Dalot tore down the right to cross for Garnacho to slam high into the net at the far post. Foxes boss Steve Cooper was furious that Dalot was not flagged offside but his side did not lose their composure, with El Khannous halving the deficit by pouncing on Altay Bayindir's punch out with a superb drilled finish.

This only antagonised Ruud's men and, after Marcus Rashford's instant response was repelled by Danny Ward, Fernandes's free-kick deflected in off James Justin to wrongfoot Ward and make it 3-1. Number four soon followed. Garnacho tested an overworked Ward and, from the corner, Rashford crossed for Casemiro head goalwards. The effort hit both posts before the Brazilian gleefully reacted quickest to the rebound, to bag his second of the night.

Casemiro looked to be about to get a hat-trick but he was offside, when his header drifted wide, and Garnacho flashed one, on the bounce, narrowly over, but Leicester ended a manic half with their tails up. Kasey McAteer forced a save out of Bayindir before the Turkey international was left with no chance, when a Luke Thomas free-kick bounced off Dalot and into the path of Coady for a gift of a goal for the visiting skipper.

SECOND HALF - REDS MAKE IT FIVE

Leicester began the second period brightly, without really worrying Bayindir, while the Reds continued to carry a threat going forwards. 

Ward saved from Joshua Zirkzee, following another Fernandes dummy, before the United captain doubled his tally for the night and the season. Our no.8 punished a sloppy backpass by Caleb Okoli to waltz past Ward and almost arrogantly rap the ball into the net at the near post. It became almost exhibition stuff, as substitute Amad was denied a strike of rare quality when his acrobatic overhead kick flew narrowly wide of Ward's right-hand post.

Although Bayindir had to be alert to thwart Boubakary Soumara's attempt, Amad seemed on a mission to score at the other end. The Ivory Coast international lashed into the side-netting after a one-two with Fernandes and then had a shot saved by Ward on the turn.

Either side of Fernandes hooking a hat-trick opportunity into the Stretford End, from Casemiro's cute pass, Will Alves and Stephy Mavididi forced more stops out of Bayindir.

There were no further goals, with Casemiro blazing an ambitious last-gasp shot way over, but this was a night to enjoy for those of a United persuasion.

MATCH DETAILS

United: Bayindir; Dalot, De Ligt (Evans 72), Lindelof, Martinez (Mazraoui 62); Ugarte, Casemiro; Rashford (Amad 63), Fernandes (c), Garnacho (Hojlund 72); Zirkzee (Wheatley 85).

Subs not used: Heaton, Amass, Fitzgerald, J. Fletcher.

Goals: Casemiro 15,39 Garnacho 28, Fernandes 36,59.

Goals: El Khannous 33, Coady 45+3.

Booked: Okoli.

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