Man Utd 1-1 Young Boys: Youthful United side held in final Champions League group game

2 years ago 38
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GreenwoodMason Greenwood's opener was his first Champions League goal of the season

Mason Greenwood's spectacular ninth-minute opener failed to inspire Manchester United's second string who were held to a disappointing Champions League draw by Swiss side Young Boys.

With qualification as group winners having been secured with a game to spare, interim boss Ralf Rangnick gave all 11 players who started the Premier League win over Crystal Palace a night off.

But, other than Greenwood, who brilliantly volleyed Luke Shaw's cross into the corner, it was not a night when United's fringe players made much of an impression.

A rare opportunity for Donny van de Beek only resulted in the Dutchman providing 19-year-old Fabian Rieder with the chance to equalise for David Wagner's men and Quentin Maceiras should have won it for the visitors but fired wide from an excellent position after finding himself unmarked in the box.

Rangnick introduced Robbie Savage's son, Charlie, for a first-team debut - something his dad never managed during his time as an Old Trafford junior - two minutes from time.

At the same time, Zidane Iqbal became the first British-born player of Asian heritage to make a senior appearance for the club.

The night did not end well for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who had to be taken of on a stretcher after the final whistle.

Greenwood the star on a disappointing night

A place in Monday's draw is something of an achievement for United, who have only reached the knockout round five times since the 2011 final, when they were beaten by Barcelona, and on only four occasions since Sir Alex Ferguson retired two years later.

On this evidence, few will give them much hope of winning the competition for a fourth time, although there are a lot of big names for Rangnick to call upon when the action starts again next February.

Greenwood's latest goal means he has now scored eight in European competition - excluding qualifiers - for United, a record for any player for the club before their 21st birthday, overtaking Marcus Rashford.

Rangnick will want more from the youngster given the manager's preference to press high up the pitch, something which will only give his chances of breaking back into Gareth Southgate's England squad a lift.

Henderson with a point to prove

Of all the players given a starting spot by Rangnick, goalkeeper Dean Henderson had the most pressing need to impress.

Overlooked this season by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after missing the start of the campaign, Henderson is desperate to play regularly to try to regain his England spot, and if January comes and he still finds himself on the bench, he is likely to seek a loan move.

A couple of dashes out of his box to make clearances and a decent save to deny Christopher Martins' effort represented a decent opening period until Rieder struck.

In fairness to Henderson, the fault was not his as skipper Nemanja Matic played a pass to Van de Beek in a dangerous position which the Dutchman, given a rousing reception by the home fans who feel he should be given more opportunities, failed to control.

Henderson was left exposed too often after half-time as United's second string found it an increasing struggle to keep their opponents at bay.

Maceiras should have scored in what was the last bit of action around Henderson's goal before the keeper was replaced by Tom Heaton, who was making his United debut nearly two decades after he first joined the club.

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Manchester United

  1. Squad number26Player nameHenderson

  2. Squad number29Player nameWan-Bissaka

  3. Squad number3Player nameBailly

  4. Squad number31Player nameMatic

  5. Squad number23Player nameShaw

  6. Squad number34Player namevan de Beek

  7. Squad number16Player nameDiallo

  8. Squad number8Player nameMata

  9. Squad number14Player nameLingard

  10. Squad number36Player nameElanga

  11. Squad number11Player nameGreenwood

  1. Squad number22Player nameHeaton

  2. Squad number43Player nameMengi

  3. Squad number47Player nameShoretire

  4. Squad number72Player nameSavage

  5. Squad number73Player nameIqbal

Young Boys

  1. Squad number91Player nameFaivre

  2. Squad number24Player nameMaceiras

  3. Squad number4Player nameCamara

  4. Squad number28Player nameLustenberger

  5. Squad number25Player nameLefort

  6. Squad number13Player nameMoumi Ngamaleu

  7. Squad number20Player nameAebischer

  8. Squad number35Player nameMartins Pereira

  9. Squad number32Player nameRieder

  10. Squad number15Player nameElia

  11. Squad number17Player nameSiebatcheu

  1. Squad number8Player nameSierro

  2. Squad number9Player nameKanga

  3. Squad number22Player nameMaier

  4. Squad number30Player nameLauper

  5. Squad number36Player nameHefti

Line-ups

Man Utd

Formation 4-1-4-1

  • 26HendersonSubstituted forHeatonat 68'minutes
  • 29Wan-Bissaka
  • 3Bailly
  • 31Matic
  • 23ShawSubstituted forMengiat 61'minutes
  • 34van de Beek
  • 16DialloSubstituted forShoretireat 68'minutesBooked at 79mins
  • 8MataSubstituted forSavageat 89'minutes
  • 14LingardSubstituted forIqbalat 89'minutes
  • 36Elanga
  • 11Greenwood

Substitutes

  • 22Heaton
  • 43Mengi
  • 47Shoretire
  • 51Kovar
  • 64Hardley
  • 72Savage
  • 73Iqbal

Young Boys

Formation 4-4-2

  • 91Faivre
  • 24Maceiras
  • 4CamaraSubstituted forLauperat 77'minutes
  • 28Lustenberger
  • 25Lefort
  • 13Moumi Ngamaleu
  • 20AebischerSubstituted forSierroat 62'minutes
  • 35Martins Pereira
  • 32RiederSubstituted forHeftiat 62'minutes
  • 15EliaSubstituted forMaierat 87'minutes
  • 17SiebatcheuSubstituted forKangaat 62'minutes

Substitutes

  • 5Zesiger
  • 8Sierro
  • 9Kanga
  • 10Sulejmani
  • 11Jankewitz
  • 14Bürgy
  • 22Maier
  • 29Toure
  • 30Lauper
  • 36Hefti
  • 61Zbinden
  • 68Laidani

Live Text

  1. Match ends, Manchester United 1, Young Boys 1.

  2. Second Half ends, Manchester United 1, Young Boys 1.

  3. Corner, Young Boys. Conceded by Shola Shoretire.

  4. Corner, Young Boys. Conceded by Teden Mengi.

  5. Substitution, Manchester United. Charlie Savage replaces Juan Mata.

  6. Substitution, Manchester United. Zidane Iqbal replaces Jesse Lingard.

  7. Attempt missed. Nico Maier (Young Boys) left footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.

  8. Foul by Sandro Lauper (Young Boys).

  9. Anthony Elanga (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  10. Substitution, Young Boys. Nico Maier replaces Meschak Elia.

  11. Foul by Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu (Young Boys).

  12. Teden Mengi (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  13. Attempt missed. Vincent Sierro (Young Boys) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Meschak Elia.

  14. Attempt missed. Jordan Lefort (Young Boys) right footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Vincent Sierro.

  15. Shola Shoretire (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  16. Meschak Elia (Young Boys) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  17. Foul by Shola Shoretire (Manchester United).

  18. Foul by Jordan Lefort (Young Boys).

  19. Shola Shoretire (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  20. Substitution, Young Boys. Sandro Lauper replaces Mohamed Ali Camara.

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