Manchester United are into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals for the sixth time in nine years after Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first game in temporary charge resulted in a 5-2 win over Leicester City.
There were six goals in the first half alone and United’s four before half-time was as many as they had managed in the final four games of Erik ten Hag’s reign.
Casemiro’s brace ultimately set the tone for the hosts, bookending his team’s first half goal. Alejandro Garnacho had made it 2-0 inside half an hour, with Bilal El Khannous pulling one back for Leicester. But two from Bruno Fernandes – his first goals of the season – either side of what proved to be another Foxes consolation from Conor Coady – capped a convincing attacking display.
How the game unfolded
With all the attention firmly on Van Nistelrooy, United were the dominant side in possession as the tie began. It was Leicester who had the first sight of goal courtesy of Jordan Ayew, but ultimately a comfortable one for Altay Bayindir in the home goal.
There was nothing comfortable about the one Casemiro smashed into the top corner with 15 minutes on the clock. It was a good move from United that started at the back and saw Lisandro Martinez lift the ball forward into Garnacho. His cutback was dummied by Fernandes, with Casemiro opening up his body and driving the ball goalward from 30 yards.
Casemiro was involved again when Garnacho doubled the lead just over 10 minutes later, feeding the ball into space in front of Diogo Dalot, whose sweeping cross was converted at the far post.
A glorious chance for a third inside half an hour was presented when Conor Coady gifted Fernandes possession just outside the Leicester box. But the United captain was caught in two minds whether to shoot or pass, and in the end did neither.
That squandering briefly threatened to be a way back into the game for Leicester, who then pulled one back when El Khannous took advantage of a weak punch from Bayindir by firing in a low shot that struck both posts before nestling in the back of the net.
But when Van Nistelrooy’s team struck twice in quick succession in the closing stages of the first half, the tie was basically done. Fernandes had a smile on his face after a wicked deflection off Leicester full-back James Justin carried his free-kick into the net, before Casemiro scored his own rebound from close-range after his initial header came back off the upright. Remarkably, Casemiro was then only inches away from a first half hat-trick when another header narrowly missed.
Leicester’s second of the night in stoppage time before the break had an element of chaos about it, a cross not dealt with and dropping into Coady’s path after the ball struck an unwitting Dalot. But given that the Foxes had pulled another back so close to the interval, it was important for United to take any sting out of the game once the action resumed. They did just that and went on to get a fifth.
Fernandes hadn’t capitalised when gifted a chance in the first half, but perhaps buoyed by having already scored once, he made no mistake the second time an hour in. Caleb Okoli’s pass back towards his own goalkeeper was woefully short and Fernandes picked it off, casually taking the ball round Danny Ward and blasting in from only a couple of yards out.
Substitute Amad Diallo went close to a sixth with an acrobatic attempt, while Bayindir atoned for any blame regarding Leicester’s first goal at the other end when he tipped a powerful strike from Boubakary Soumare onto the crossbar.
But with the game over as a contest, mass substitutions from both sides killed any real momentum or rhythm into the closing stages.
Man Utd player ratings (4-2-3-1
GK: Altay Bayindir – 6/10 – Carried on in this competition after starting in the previous round and will have expected to better with the first Leicester goal. Made a spectacular stop later on though.
RB: Diogo Dalot – 6/10 – With a glaring miss aganst West Ham still fresh in the mind, his far post cross towards Garnacho for United’s second was inch perfect.
CB: Matthijs de Ligt – 6/10 – Deserves credit for the aggressive front foot defending which won his team the ball from which they took the lead. Probably therefore should have commanded the situation much better when Leicester scored their second.
CB: Victor Lindelof – 5/10 – In for just his second start of the season and not up to speed just yet. It was a poor attempt to stop the cross that led to Leicester pulling the first back.
LB: Lisandro Martinez – 6/10 – Functional rather than outstanding, not in his preferred role.
CM: Casemiro – 9/10 – A colossal performance from the veteran after much criticism in recent months. Scored twice and nearly had a hat-trick, but all over the pitch putting his stamp on the game.
CM: Manuel Ugarte – 8/10 – Not glamorous but effective. Won tackles and didn’t give the ball away.
RM: Marcus Rashford- 6/10 – Had some moments of positive interplay but will be disappointed on a night when the goals were flowing that he wasn’t more involved.
AM: Bruno Fernandes (c) – 8/10 – His first goal of the season had a slice of luck with it, but he won’t care to finally be off the mark. His next was also a gift, although required composure and skill too.
LM: Alejandro Garnacho – 8/10 – Continues to be the most consistent source of attacking threat. Took his goal very well and also gets assist credit for Casemiro’s opener.
ST: Joshua Zirkzee – 5/10 – Often felt like the spare man in attack. Saw one reasonable second half chance beaten away, but too much on the periphery.
Substitutes
SUB: Noussair Mazraoui (63′ for Martinez) – 6/10
SUB: Amad Diallo (63′ for Rashford) – 6/10
SUB: Jonny Evans (72′ for De Ligt) – 6/10
SUB: Rasmus Hojlund (73′ for Garnacho) – 6/10
SUB: Ethan Wheatley (85′ for Zirkzee) – N/A
Subs not used: Tom Heaton (GK), Harry Amass, Jack Fletcher, Jayce Fitzgerald.
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