Man Utd duo continue World Cup hot streak as Wan-Bissaka proves point in win over Burnley | Football | Sport
Manchester United capped off their return to competitive action with 2-0 win over Burnley on Wednesday, securing their ticket to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals. Christian Eriksen and Marcus Rashford were both on the scoresheet for Erik ten Hag’s side as Express Sport takes you through five things we learned from an intriguing encounter…
Duo continue World Cup hot streak
Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford both gave United fans something to cheer about in their first game back at Old Trafford following a pair of stellar World Cup campaigns. Fernandes was one of Portugal’s top performers in Qatar and Rashford scored three times for the Three Lions, establishing himself as a crucial impact player from the bench.
Despite having a tough time against Ian Maatsen in the first half, the most eye-catching moment of the night was created by Rashford as he embarked on a spectacular solo run from inside his own half before finishing confidently into the bottom corner. Fernandes, meanwhile, proved that his passing is still up there with the best as his raking pings and balls into the channels consistently found their mark.
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Garnacho lacks composure
United fans will invariably have been excited to see what teenager Alejandro Garnacho had to offer after he bagged a stoppage-time winner against Fulham before the pause in domestic action. The 18-year-old is tipped for a bright future but his best wasn’t on show against Burnley, who kept him largely under wraps.
It’s not as though Garnacho didn’t have chances, either, as he was put clean through on goal by Fernandes in the opening minutes but lacked conviction with his finish. Moments later, Anthony Martial sent him through but he lacked composure and a loose touch saw the ball run away from him. With Ten Hag looking to sew up safe passage to the quarter-finals, the former Atletico Madrid youth prospect was substituted before the hour mark.
Dubravka fails audition
Amid talk of United planning not to extend David de Gea’s contract, which expires at the end of the season, back-up goalkeeper Martin Dubravka may have spied this match as an opportunity to show that he could fill the vacancy on a long-term basis.
It didn’t quite work out that way, however, as a calamitous few first-half minutes gave United fans cause for concern. Firstly, he punched fresh air when trying to deal with a Burnley cross and Casemiro had to bail him out by clearing off the line. Minutes later, the Slovakian stopper failed to control a simple pass as the ball accidentally ran under his foot and very nearly into the back of the net.
Jury’s out on Ten Hag concerns
In the lead-up to Wednesday’s Carabao Cup showdown, Ten Hag expressed concern that a more passive style of play at the World Cup could have stifled his progress in trying to create a cohesive, front-foot unit at Old Trafford.
After 90 minutes against the Clarets, it’s not entirely clear whether his worries are justified. On the night, the Red Devils had enough quality to come away with the victory but an under-strength Burnley XI had plenty of joy and, on a more clinical day, Vincent Kompany’s slick side could have produced an entirely different result.
