The Best of The Rest — Man Utd Vs Villarrreal
Recap The Rematch!
Two teams in contrasting form met for a rematch after the Spanish outfit previously held the boasting rights, having bested United on penalties in the Europa League final. United triumphed, in the end, thanks to a late winner from Ronaldo and a wonderful volley from Telles with Alcacer scoring the only goal for Villarreal.
Varane’s the Real Deal
3 changes to a back 4 screamed mistakes. Luckily the one guy who kept his place is world-class. That last-ditch tackle on the 15th-minute mark was just one instance of his talent. His calm demeanour helped settle this new look backline that would have otherwise missed a commanding presence like Maguire.
Dalot’s Good, but Not Great
Far too often he was beaten 1v1 by Danjuma, who by the way till last season, played for Bournemouth in the Championship. He may be a great dribbler, but a fullback’s primary duty is to be sound defensively, and he just is not. The same good be said for Telles, but having only recently come back from injury, I’ll give him the benefit of doubt. Plus he scored an absolute worldie.
Creativity — 10. Finishing — 0
Villareal flew out of the blocks in the first half with both wingers causing United’s fullback’s all sorts of problems. But they just couldn’t finish their chances. While de Gea was in inspired form, Villarreal should still have had something other than a 0 next to their name at the end of the first half. They did manage to score in the second half but would later come to regret not scoring more.
Fate Shines on Ole.
He kept CR7 on despite being quiet for the majority of the game. He brought on Cavani who played a vital part in pressing the tiring Villarreal defence. He brought on Lingard, who’s slowly becoming a super-sub himself. And well, it worked. However, had it not worked, the same decisions would have been questioned. That’s football for you.
