1/8 crosses, 4/8 duels: Amorim must instantly drop 3/10 United star who lost the ball 12 times vs Bodo/Glimt - opinion
Manchester United returned to winning ways with a 3-2 victory over Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League.
Manager Ruben Amorim promised to rotate his players for the game and he did exactly that with six changes from the 1-1 Premier League draw at Ipswich Town.
The Red Devils made the perfect beginning with Alejandro Garnacho scoring in the first minute, but Bodo/Glimt surprised the home faithful with two quick-fire goals.
Rasmus Hojlund equalised for the Red Devils just before the interval. He put United ahead in the 50th minute. The club deserved the victory, but it was not straightforward.
Tyrell Malacia made his first senior start for United since May 2023. The Netherlands international had a decent start, but he was completely at fault for Bodo/Glimt’s second goal.
Malacia clearly looked short of pace and Philip Zinckernagel ran past him with ease before finding the back of the net through the legs of goalkeeper Andre Onana.
The Dutchman was taken off at the half-time break and it was the right decision. He received a 3/10 rating from Goal for his poor showing at Old Trafford.
The 25-year-old started his first competitive game since his knee surgery last year. He completed 97 percent of his passes, but won just four out of eight duels contested.
The Feyenoord graduate lost possession on 12 occasions in 45 minutes. He attempted eight crosses against the Norwegian champions, but just one of those found a teammate.
Malacia clearly needs more time on the training pitch to get up to speed and in our view, the manager must drop him from his starting plans for the next few weeks at least.
Stats from Sofascore.com
Article written by Sri Aswin .