United celebrate Jack Butland's own goal

Match report: United 2 Rangers 1

Thursday 23 January 2025 22:00

Manchester United took a huge step towards confirming an automatic place in the last 16 of the Europa League after a dramatic stoppage-time winner against Rangers on a special European night at Old Trafford.

Bruno Fernandes stepped up in the 92nd minute to give the Reds - who were already guaranteed at least a play-off place before kick-off - a crucial three points. Substitute Cyriel Dessers looked to have snatched a draw for the Scottish visitors with an 88th-minute equaliser, after Rangers keeper Jack Butland inadvertently punched Christian Eriksen’s corner into his own net early in the second half.

The Reds - who are now fourth in the table - maintain our unbeaten record in Europe this season and will hope to finish the job of qualifying for the next phase when we travel to Bucharest to face eighth-placed FCSB next Thursday (30 January).

The visitors showed a mark of respect to United legend Denis Law, following the announcement of the Scotsman’s death last week at the age of 84, as a delegation including former United interim chief executive officer Patrick Stewart laid a wreath beneath the United Trinity statue on the forecourt. A huge surfer banner was also unfurled across the Stretford End before kick-off in tribute to one of its favourite sons, which simply read: ‘Denis Law, The King’.

Demanding a reaction from Sunday’s 3-1 home defeat by Brighton, Ruben Amorim made five changes as Altay Bayindir, Lisandro Martinez, Eriksen, Toby Collyer and Alejandro Garnacho came into the starting XI. After he was initially named on the bench, Noussair Mazraoui was not included among United’s substitutes and rested as a precaution, after picking up a knock against the Seagulls.

Rangers, meanwhile, were without eight first-team players - including the suspended Mohamed Diomande - but welcomed back goalkeeper Butland, who had a loan spell at Old Trafford without playing two seasons ago, after missing six matches, while Leon Balogun returned in defence for the first time since being injured on Boxing Day and former United youth player Tom Lawrence was an unused substitute.

The Stretford End paid its own tribute to Denis Law just before kick-off.

FIRST HALF - DE LIGT GOAL CONTROVERSIALLY RULED OUT

Garnacho cut inside from the left and brought a routine save from Butland inside the opening two minutes as the Reds settled well and made a dominant start in possession, against the backdrop of an electric atmosphere generated by both sets of supporters.

At the other end, Bayindir - on his first United appearance in Europe - was called upon twice in quick succession to rush out to the feet of Nico Raskin before parrying away Ridvan Yilmaz’s volley from captain James Tavernier’s floated cross.

The Reds looked to regain the initiative as Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes unleashed efforts from distance which they could not direct on target. Our no.17 thought his next attempt was goalbound but it flicked behind off the head of Raskin.

From the resulting Amad corner, we had the ball in the net as Matthijs de Ligt powered in a close-range header but the Belgian referee Erik Lambrechts adjudged that Leny Yoro had shoved Robin Propper and awarded Rangers a free-kick. Replays showed that contact was minimal and the decision was harsh, but it was upheld by the Video Assistant Referee and the goal did not stand - much to the dismay of the Red Army inside M16.  

The sense of injustice only served to spur the Reds on and Amad - playing further forward than a usual wing-back - looked the most likely to ask questions of the Gers’ defence. He almost found the answer when latching on to a sublime Fernandes pass but an advancing Butland sprawled to make the block.

The visitors’ stopper was forced to paw away a stunning rising drive by Martinez - who set his sights on adding to his impressive goal at Anfield at the start of the month.

However, Rangers continued to pose a threat and Bayindir had to be alert to tip Hamza Igamane’s deflected strike behind for a corner, which he did well to deal with, after colliding with Collyer when fouled by Balogun - who, along with team-mate Connor Barron, required treatment just before the interval after suffering separate injury concerns.

De Ligt's first-half header was controversially chalked off in a tight first half.

SECOND HALF - A DRAMATIC FINALE EARNS REDS VICTORY

Both Rangers players did not return for the second period as Ross McCausland and Bailey Rice were their replacements, while the Reds made a change in defence with Harry Maguire taking over from de Ligt.

It was a lively opening with action at both ends as Amad’s dangerous corner was headed away inside the goalmouth by Igamane, before 18-year-old defender Rice ballooned a shot over for Rangers and Vaclav Cerny brought a low save from Bayindir.

It was the Turk’s opposite number who had a moment to forget as United opened the scoring on 52 minutes. Butland punched the ball into his own net from Eriksen’s corner, which came after Fernandes saw his goalbound shot deflected onto the roof of the net by Propper.

Amorim turned to his back-up brigade again soon after as Tyrell Malacia made his seventh appearance of the season in place of Yoro, whose first European outing for the Reds was cut short and prompted a defensive reshuffle with Diogo Dalot making a rare appearance in the back three.

Jack Butland's own goal gave the Reds a 52nd-minute lead.

The Reds almost doubled our lead on the hour mark as a patient move started by Garnacho was nearly finished by the Argentina international, who brought Amad’s cutback under control but saw his attempt either hit Robin Propper, a post, or both. After Butland’s uncharacteristic error, United sought to test Rangers aerially at every opportunity and, from another pinpoint Eriksen delivery from the left, sub Maguire got free and steered a header inches wide.

Fresh impetus was injected into the Reds' engine room with the arrival of Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo as Collyer - who quietly put in a solid shift on his first start under Amorim - and Eriksen made way. Despite fatigue understandably starting to creep in, the Reds - with the Europa League’s joint top-scorer Rasmus Hojlund sent on from the bench - looked to increase the advantage as Butland saved well from an Ugarte diving header and a Garnacho strike from 20 yards.

The Scottish Premiership outfit - who were unbeaten on the road in Europe since October 2023 - continued to carry belief and keep United honest. Jefte set himself up to strike a volley straight at Bayindir from 18 yards, and substitute Dessers was denied by the woodwork after clipping the ball over Bayindir when getting in behind.

After giving the Reds a warning sign, Dessers made no mistake when he controlled Tavernier’s raking ball forward and fired low into the bottom corner to equalise for the visitors.

But, often the kings of late goals, the Reds had the final say as our captain came up with the decisive moment in the second minute of stoppage time, Bruno stealing in to meet Martinez’s chipped ball first time and thump it through Butland’s legs to earn a valuable victory on a special European night. 

Bruno celebrates his late winner in front of a delighted Stretford End.

WHAT’S NEXT?

The Reds are back in Premier League action in west London on Sunday evening, with a trip to face Marco Silva’s Fulham at Craven Cottage (kick-off 19:00 GMT).

MATCH DETAILS

United: Bayindir; Yoro (Malacia 55), De Ligt (Maguire 46), Martinez; Amad, Collyer (Ugarte 73), Eriksen (Mainoo 73), Dalot; Fernandes (c), Garnacho; Zirkzee (Hojlund 82). 

Subs not used: Onana, Heaton, Casemiro, Antony.

Goals: Butland 52 (og), Fernandes 90+2.

Rangers: Butland; Tavernier (c), Propper, Balogun (Rice 46), Jefte; Barron (McCausland 46), Raskin; Cerny (Curtis 60), Bajrami (Dessers 71), Yilmaz (King 90); Igamane.

Subs not used: Kelly, Munn, Lawrence, Dowell, Lovelace, Hutton, Nsio.

Goals: Dessers 88.

Booked: Jefte 80.

Attendance: 73,288.

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