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Manchester United sealed automatic qualification into the Europa League knockout phase on Thursday night, all thanks to a 2-0 victory over Steaua Bucharest. A third conservative across all competitions for the first time this season.
Romanian champions Steaua Bucharest, asides the on-field clash, facing off against Manchester United, they had to battle inferiority in valuation, with the visitors boasting a significantly higher valuation. Steaua’s £32m squad was dwarfed by United’s £267.5m lineup, which included Rasmus Højlund, a £72m striker who had failed to score in 23 of his 28 appearances this term.
Despite their dominance on paper, United struggled to break down Steaua’s defense in the early stages of the match. Højlund’s lack of service has been a recurring issue, and he failed to capitalize on the chances that came his way. When Christian Eriksen floated in a free-kick, Højlund leaped to head the ball, but it was aimed at Matthijs de Ligt, who connected weakly.
Amorim sent out a United XI containing the fringe talents of Toby Collyer, Altay Bayındır, and Tyrell Malacia. However, it was Steaua who threatened to punish United’s recklessness when Malacia scythed down Florin Tanaes, earning himself a booking. Risto Radunovic’s dead ball delivery was met by a diagonal run from Noussair Mazraoui, but De Ligt, Lisandro Martínez, and the rest of United’s defense failed to deal with the threat.
As the match wore on, United began to assert their dominance– as it should be. Diogo Dalot’s opener came setting the tone for the match, with United’s slick passing carving open Steaua’s defense. The Portuguese wing-back’s goal had an effect of relief for United, who had struggled to create clear-cut chances in the early stages.
Despite their dominance, United’s profligacy in front of goal remained a concern. Højlund struggled to make an impact, spurning several opportunities to score. Mainoo also had two chances to score, but his finishes were disappointing. The 1,500 or so United enthusiasts who had made the trip could be happy, though, as United spun the ball about at a pace pleasing to Amorim.
At halftime, Amorim made a double substitution, introducing Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho in place of Malacia and Collyer. The duo’s pace and energy injected new life into United’s attack, allowing them to assert their dominance over the Romanian champions.
Garnacho’s first touch was to clip Stefan Tarnovanu’s left post, latching onto a poor back pass. The speedster raced forward but, in a microcosm of United’s struggles in front of goal, his radar was awry. Eriksen seemed to favour De Ligt as the far more likely to net than an actual forward.
As the match drew to a close, United demonstrated a newfound ability to manage the game’s remainder professionally. Altay Bayındır’s late save from Alexandru Baluta’s rocket ensured United maintained their clean sheet, providing a welcome boost to the team’s morale.
The win sets United up nicely for their upcoming league match against Crystal Palace, and Amorim will be eager to build on this momentum. However, the Portuguese manager is also aware that his team remains an enigma, and he will be looking to address their ongoing inconsistencies in the coming weeks.
