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Several Manchester United fans were looking forward to seeing how Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane would fare in their first start for the club.
While the Red Devils were largely below-par when they faced Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, Varane stamped his authority and showed his quality.
Mason Greenwood’s fantastic strike ultimately handed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side all three points, but the French defender was the man of the match.
It’s still early days and Varane is adapting to the Premier League following his move from Real Madrid, but he certainly has the quality and temperament to succeed.
Varane impresses on debut
There were more than three occasions where Varane read the game very well, ensuring that he did the mop-up job after his teammates had been beaten.
The 28-year-old was unplayable at the back and, without him, Wolves could’ve hurt Manchester United with their numerous swift counter-attacks.
Varane has won everything as a footballer and there were questions over whether he still had the desire to perform at the top level. The Frenchman's honors at Real Madrid included four Champions League titles, four Club World Cup titles and three La Liga trophies among others.
Per his debut performance with Manchester United, Varane answered with an emphatic yes.
He made three clearances, won three aerial duels, had an 88% passing rate and capped off an impressive debut with the all-important assist that led to Greenwood’s winner.
Maguire finally has a solid partner
Harry Maguire is a great defender but his lack of pace can sometimes make him a liability at the back. The arrival of Varane, though, could seal that weakness.
The France defender is an excellent reader of the game, is quick and tackles really well, which makes him the perfect partner for Maguire.
"Top, top performance. He’s good in the air, he's so composed on the ball and he's so experienced and nothing fazes him," Solskjaer said of Varane, as quoted by Manutd.com.
"He was good in the dressing room before the game, half-time and so I'm delighted with his performance. I thought he showed his class."
Manchester United finally have a solid backline and Maguire and Varane will certainly complement each other very well.
