'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Manchester United travelled to Kazakhstan for their matchday 5 fixture against FC Astana. The former came into this encounter having already booked their spot in the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League, on the back of a win on matchday 4 when they beat Partizan Belgrade at Old Trafford.
Having already landed a spot in the qualifiers, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer named a relatively young side, with academy players forming the core of the squad.
Jesse Lingard, Axel Tuanzebe along with Mason Greenwood and Luke Shaw were the only players from the squad who have played a part in the Red Devil's Premier League campaign this season, while the rest of the playing XI consisted of young players such as Ethan Laird, Dylan Levitt, and Dishon Bernard.
The opening 25 minutes of the game were dominated by the visitors as Manchester United began on the front foot with crisp passes and good co-ordination. The relentless approach from Manchester United soon led to a goal from skipper Jesse Lingard, who scored with a shot from outside the box in the 10th minute.
However, after the 25th minute, Astana found their bearings and started to have more of the ball. The hosts constantly tried to score the equalizer with some attacking football, before Dmitriy Shomko finally delivered the equalizer for the home side.
The left-back scored at the conclusion of a counter-attack of the home side with a sweet left-footed shot and post that, Astana's players made the most of the momentum they had in hand and put in a better show than their performance from the opening half.
The second goal came from an unlikely source for the hosts as Dishon Bernard's attempt to block a cross saw the ball deflect off the youngster and thud into the net in the 62nd minute.
Yet, even though Astana took the lead, Manchester United enjoyed quite a lot of the possession. Despite the visitors' best attempts to cut through Astana's defensive unit, the home side held on well enough to seal a thrilling 2-1 win in the end.
On that note, here are 4 players who made a good impression and 1 player who was not at his best in the game.
#5 Hit: Jesse Lingard
Jesse Lingard was handed the captain's armband for this game and assuming the No.10 role for this game, Lingard's energy was one of the biggest driving factors behind Manchester United's opening goal of the game in the 10th minute.
The England International gave his side the lead in the game with a beautiful finish in the 10th minute. Lingard was instrumental in carrying the ball forward from midfield to attack and kept the ball moving, despite some good defending from the hosts.
The attacking midfielder had one shot on target, 97 touches of the ball and two key passes in the game, apart from a 91% passing accuracy. Although Manchester United lost the match, Jesse Lingard did a brilliant job of leading the young squad throughout the game, and his welcome return to form can only be good news for The Red Devils.
Also check out: Premier League Premier League Table Champions League Schedule
#4 Flop: Tahith Chong
Tahith Chong started on the right wing for Manchester United but the youngster had a game to forget, as he lacked penetration for some patches of the game and played out of position, at times drifting to the centre that left Manchester United short on the right side of the attack.
In addition to this, Chong did not track back enough to help out Ethan Laird in defence. However, most importantly, the Dutch starlet was handed a golden chance to extend the lead for his side but missed a simple tap in goal as he sent the ball soaring over the bar, giving Astana some hope to make a comeback into the game.
#3 Hit: Dmitriy Shomko
FC Astana's Dimitriy Shomko was the star of the game for the hosts. Besides scoring the crucial equalizer for the home side through a beautiful left-footed shot to harbour hopes of taking a lead in the game, Shomko was at the top of his mark on the defensive front as well.
Defensively, Dmitriy Shomko had the joint highest clearances in the game with five clearances to his name, apart from two interceptions. The left-back made a total of three tackles, the most for any player across both sides from this game and his proficiency at the back continuously piled pressure on the visitors.
#2 Hit: Dylan Levitt
Dylan Levitt made his debut for Manchester United alongside James Garner in a midfield two. Levitt helped Manchester United dominate the midfield battle as his side had 65.5% possession of the ball. The 19-year-old Welsh International was unafraid to steal the ball away and created ample chances for the likes of Jesse Lingard and Mason Greenwood to make a mark.
The Welsh International completed 104 passes on the day, with 54 accurate forward passes and 30 among them being in the final third. Levitt wasn't fazed by the occasion and looked composed on and off the ball. He made four ball recoveries along with one tackle and one interception.
#1 Hit: Nenad Eric
If there is a reason why Manchester United couldn't make a comeback on the day, a majority of the praise should be heaped on some of the spectacular saves that Nenad Eric made towards the very end of the game.
After the hosts took a 2-1 lead, Manchester United pegged Astana back into their own half and the goalkeeper had to be on his toes. The 37-year-old was at the top of his game and ensured that the young attackers from the opposition did not get away with even the best of attempts.
One of the saves he made was from a free kick taken by Angel Gomes, which was destined for the top corner, only for Eric to come in the way. The second save, which was the best of the lot, came from Mason Greenwood's shot that was palmed away from the top left-hand corner. All in all, Eric had a very good game and was one of the biggest reasons why Astana walked away with three points.
