Football
Manchester United miss a chance against Leeds
The Mancunians could have joined City in the Premier League table, but they only drew at home.
Published
Marcel Sabitzer tente sa chance pour Manchester United.
AFP
Surprised twice at the start of each period by Leeds, Manchester United missed an opportunity to consolidate their place on the podium with a draw (2-2), in the late match of the 8th day of the Premier League, Wednesday.
In the event of victory, the Red Devils would have reached 45 points, as much as Manchester City, currently 2nd, and distanced themselves a little from Newcastle and Tottenham, 4th and 5th. But with 43 units, they are three ahead of the Magpies, who have one game less, and four over the Spurs. Given the scenario and the score which was 0-2 at the hour mark, this point is a lesser evil.
Without a fixed coach since the dismissal of Jesse Marsch on Monday, the Peacocks, 16th with 19 points, one better than the first virtual relegation player, Everton, had started ideally.
From the first minute, on a ball lost by Bruno Fernandes, Wilfried Gnonto opened the scoring with a shot from around twenty meters (0-1, 1st).
A similar scenario repeated itself at the start of the second half when a new ball lost by Alejandro Garnacho allowed Crysencio Summerville, on the counter, to see his shot deflected by Raphaël Varane out of reach of David de Gea (0-2, 48th ).
mental resources
Deprived of Casemiro, suspended, and Christian Eriksen, injured, Manchester’s game seemed seized up and laborious. But the spectacular work carried out in a few months by Erik Ten Hag has again shown its effects by the mental resources displayed to return.
It was first Marcus Rashford who reduced the score with a header (1-2, 62nd), becoming the first Mancunian since Wayne Rooney in 2012 to score in 6 league matches in a row at Old Trafford.
Returning to the game in the 59th, it was then Jadon Sancho, for his first league match since October, who equalized after combining with Luke Shaw (2-2, 70th).
Without several parries from the French goalkeeper of Leeds, Illan Meslier, Leeds could even have left empty-handed, but the Yorkshire team will also regret the post found by Brenden Aaronson on a free kick, when the score was still 1-2 (65th) .
Facetious to the revised calendar, the two teams will meet on Sunday at Elland Road for the 23rd day.
(AFP)