Odion Ighalo and Bruno Fernandes starred as Manchester United thrashed LASK 5-0 in their UEFA Europa League Round of 16 first leg tie on Thursday.
Manchester United made a bright start to the game being played in an empty Linzer Stadion in Austria and Odion Ighalo handed them the lead around the half hour mark with a stunning strike from the edge of the box. Daniel James then doubled the Red Devils’ lead in the 58th minute with a sharp finish after cutting in from the left side.
The final ten minutes of the game saw Manchester United kill off the tie completely as Juan Mata made it 3-0 before substitutes Mason Greenwood and Andreas Pereira got into the goal-scoring act to complete the rout. The emphatic win all but seals Manchester United’s pathway to the quarter-finals of the competition even before the second leg at Old Trafford.
? FIVE-STAR UNITED ?#MUFC #UEL
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 12, 2020
Here’s how we rated the performances of the Manchester United stars on the night against LASK.
Sergio Romero: 6/10
Another clean sheet for the Manchester United back-up goalkeeper and he was hardly made to work for it. A comfortable outing for the Argentine, with LASK rarely calling him into action. Distribution could have been a bit sharper, though.
Brandon Williams: 7/10
Moved into the right-back slot in the absence of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot, the academy graduate looked at home in his new position. Steady and solid in the defensive half, while providing a constant outlet going forward on the right-side. Continues to make huge strides in his debut campaign.
Eric Bailly: 7/10
Another strong performance from the Ivorian, as he continues to stake a claim for more regular involvement since his return from injury. Made a crucial block to deny LASK at 1-0 and continued to come up with key interventions to keep the hosts away from the Manchester United goal.
Harry Maguire: 6.5/10
A nervy moment early in the game almost ended up costing Manchester United, but the skipper recovered from thereon and put in another solid showing at the heart of the defence. Marshaled his troops well, while striding out forward with the ball at every given occasion. Loses half a mark for missing a chance to score a free header close to half-time.
Luke Shaw: 7/10
The Englishman continued his recent excellent run of form with another fine performance. Defended resolutely for most of the game, apart from one moment in the second period when he was caught out and ended up fouling an LASK player in a dangerous position. Always a threatening presence in the attacking side of things, Shaw delivered some fine crosses.
Scott McTominay: 7/10
Back into the starting lineup, the Scotsman was his typical energetic self on the night, harrying the opposition, reclaiming possession, starting and supplementing attacks. Kept things ticking over with neat and tidy passes. Should have scored from a header in the first period, but missed narrowly.
Fred: 8/10
Another game where Fred proved his value to this Manchester United side. Acted as the conduit between the two halves of the field, playing forward passes with intent and purpose, while working diligently when not in possession. Got the assist for Manchester United’s third goal of the night with a sensational through pass to find Mata.
Fred’s game by numbers vs. LASK:
89% pass accuracy
55% of passes forward
16 final third passes
8 ball recoveries
3 interceptions
2 assistsContinued his fine form. ??? pic.twitter.com/mm60o6QG7P
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) March 12, 2020
Juan Mata: 6.5/10
The Spaniard linked up well with his attacking partners and got into dangerous positions, but wasn’t always able to make the most of it. Missed a couple of great opportunities to score on either side of half-time before eventually finishing with aplomb for his team’s third on the night.
Bruno Fernandes: 8/10
Another game, another assist for Manchester United’s creator-in-chief. Got the assist for Ighalo’s opener with a fine pass. Could have had more on the night if not for Maguire and McTominay’s missed headed efforts and Ighalo’s second half strike bouncing off the post. Pulled the strings beautifully for Manchester United in the final third. What a signing he is proving to be!
Daniel James: 7/10
The 32-game goal drought for the Welshman finally ended on Thursday night as he cut inside from the left flank before beating the LASK goalkeeper at his near post with a fine finish. Worked well throughout, running at the opposition defenders with intent every time he got on the ball. End product still needs a bit of polishing, but the goal will have boosted his confidence immensely.
Odion Ighalo: 8/10
There were many who laughed when Manchester United announced the Nigerian’s signing on the January transfer deadline day. Now, it is the Red Devils who are laughing as Ighalo continued his excellent start to life at the club with another fine performance.
Odion Ighalo’s game by numbers vs. LASK:
100% pass accuracy
5 successful take-ons
4 shots (2 on target)
4 chances created
2 fouls won
1 assist
1 goalAnother masterclass. ? pic.twitter.com/bzFbftEv0n
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) March 12, 2020
Opened the scoring on the night with a cracker of a finish, controlling the ball beautifully before unleashing a left-footed half-volley into the roof of the net. Held up the ball brilliantly at the top and brought his teammates into the game. Got the assist for James’ goal and could have scored a second, but saw his effort hit the post.
Substitutes
Tahith Chong: 7/10
Fresh after signing a new contract, the Dutchman was given twenty minutes to make an impact. And he put in a positive performance, making good runs and taking up dangerous positions. Got the assist for Greenwood’s goal with a fine pass. Bright.
Andreas Pereira: 7/10
Came on for Fernandes with less than fifteen minutes left on the clock. Caught the LASK goalkeeper napping with his long-range strike for Manchester United’s fifth on the night.
Mason Greenwood: 7/10
Mason Greenwood has been directly involved in a Europa League goal every 77 minutes this season.
Wonderkid. ??? pic.twitter.com/k2PgAUuyam
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) March 12, 2020
Replaced Ighalo with five minutes of normal time to be played. Scored his fifth goal of the Europa League campaign with a powerful finish. Making quite a name for himself in his first full-season with the senior team.
