Manchester United picked up a 2-0 away win over Granada in the Quarter-finals of the Europa League earlier tonight and they will be heading into the second leg full of confidence and with a massive advantage.
Marcus Rashford scored the opening goal of the game in the first half and Bruno Fernandes wrapped up the scoring at the stroke of full time with a well-taken penalty.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be pleased with the result tonight but the tactics were questionable once again.
Manchester United were up against an inferior side in Granada and the fans would have expected free-flowing attacking football. Instead, the Red Devils were pragmatic in their approach and they were cautious with the ball throughout the game.
There were too many sideways passes and the tempo of the game was quite slow.
With players like Fernandes, Rashford and Pogba starting them, United could have been more attacking in their approach.
Meanwhile, the decision to leave Van de Beek on the bench for tonight’s game seems quite surprising as well. If the Dutchman cannot make the cut for these games, he might as well leave the club. The former Ajax star hardly plays in the Premier League and he needs opportunities to prove himself.
Solskjaer took a risk when he started Rashford instead of Cavani and it paid off big time. The England international had an injury problem but he started the game and scored the opening goal.
Manchester United will be disappointed with bookings of Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw tonight. Both players are now ruled out of the second leg. Shaw has been exceptional for United this season and his absence will be a blow to the Red Devils.
The likes of Tuanzebe and Telles are likely to come into the side as their replacements at Old Trafford next week.
As for Granada, they were massive underdogs heading into the game and the defeat is hardly a surprise. The Spanish side will look to salvage some pride in the second leg and push the Premier League side as hard as they can.
