It wasn’t pretty, but Manchester United are through to the next round of the FA Cup. The defending champions beat Leicester City, managed by club legend Ruud van Nistelrooy, running out as 2-1 victors thanks to two second-half goals.
The Red Devils were, quite frankly, disappointing in the first half. Leicester took the lead in the 42nd minute, with the ball bouncing in off Bobby Decordova-Reid after Andre Onana made a strong save.
United did bounce back in the second half. Joshua Zirkzee, who came on in the 64th minute, converted a loose ball in the six-yard box to draw United level. Then, with extra-time approaching, United found their winner.
After winning a free kick in stoppage time, Bruno Fernandes whipped the ball onto Harry Maguire’s head, and he fired home to win the game. Incredibly, he was in an offside position, but with no VAR to intervene, the goal stood.
It was not the best night for the Red Devils, although Zirkzee and Maguire both played well, aside from their goals.
Zirkzee & Maguire’s performances vs Leicester
Both goalscorers on the night for United performed well and had a big impact. Zirkzee offered Ruben Amorim’s side a focal point which they previously didn’t have. He was able to link up play for United and bring others into the game.
His performance was held in high regard by Samuel Luckhurst, writer for The Manchester Evening News, who gave the United number 11 an 8/10 for his night’s work. He explained the Dutchman made “a big improvement on his teammates”.
As for Maguire, the England international was impressive aside from his goal, helping to keep out a Leicester side that knocked on the door in the first half. With that being said, he perhaps could have done better for the Foxes’ goal, leaving Wilfred Ndidi unmarked in the box.
Maguire’s stats from the game show just how well he performed against his former side. As per Sofascore, the United number five won six duels and made four clearances, as well as completing 85% of his passes.
Despite the fact that Zirkzee and Maguire ultimately saw their side through, some United players struggled against Leicester. One of those was striker Rasmus Hojlund.
Hojlund’s stats vs. Leicester
It was another frustrating night for United’s number nine against the Foxes. He has been in frustrating form for much of the season, and it was a similar story against Van Nistelrooy’s side, with the striker having very little involvement in the game.
Hojlund didn’t make many runs in behind, aside from one occasion in the second half when he looked threatening. Once again, he struggled with his hold-up play, losing key duels against the centre-backs.
His stats from the game reflect how disappointing he was on the cold Friday night at Old Trafford. He had just 23 touches, fewer than Onana’s 27, completed 62% of his passes, and won 2 out of 8 duels. Worryingly, the striker did not manage a shot at goal.
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Hojlund stats vs. Leicester |
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|---|---|
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Stat |
Number |
|
Touches |
23 |
|
Pass accuracy |
62% |
|
Passes completed |
8/13 |
|
Ground duels won |
2/4 |
|
Aerial duels won |
0/4 |
|
Number of times possession lost |
9 |
|
Shots on target |
0 |
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Stats from Sofascore |
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Luckhurst was critical of the Denmark international, giving him a post-match rating of 3/10 for his efforts. The journalist said he “did little right all night”, a scathing review which was clearly backed up by his stats.
Hojlund is a player who looks short of confidence at the moment. He has not scored since the 12th of December in the Europa League, which is frustrating for the Red Devils. He was a big investment, and to see him struggling so much will be a worry.
The 22-year-old will certainly have been relieved to see Maguire score the winning goal in Fergie Time but while the defender will continue to play a regular role, the Dane must find himself on the bench next time out.
