MATA’S TOUCH OF MAGIC
Spaniard is United match-winner after cool finish breaks Wolves resistance
on sunday and will need Rashford. With Harry Kane out with an injured hamstring, England manager Gareth southgate will also wait anxiously for news on another forward who will carry such a large portion of the national team’s load at this summer’s European Championship.
‘Bringing him on backfired,’ said solskjaer afterwards and that was something of an understatement.
For their part, Wolves had come to win and fielded a strong side in their efforts to do so. Nuno Espirito santo’s team reached the semifinal of this competition last season. They were competitive here and things did not go their way in key moments during a first half that saw them dangerous on occasion.
But too often the final ball was rued by Nuno and in the second period it was hard to recall them making a clear chance.
so they will be disappointed while United will take heart from a result and a performance that was better than many witnessed in this part of Manchester this season.
Early on, they looked a little vulnerable at the back and showed a tendency to lose the ball carelessly. it may have cost them had Wolves carried a little more fortune and composure.
United had actually been first to threaten, Daniel James being denied by Ruddy as he ran on to a pass over the top from Mata. But within five minutes, Wolves should have been ahead. Adama Traore made progress far too easily down the Wolves left and when he crossed low, Raul Jimenez sold three United players a dummy to leave himself with the whole of the goal to aim at from virtually the penalty spot. Unfortunately for him, he chose the bit with United goalkeeper sergio Romero standing in it and his shot was saved with surprising ease.
if that served as a warning for United, it was not heeded. Two minutes later, Fred slammed the ball against his own team-mate Nemanja Matic in centre field and when
Jimenez won a tussle with Harry Maguire, Pedro Neto was able to collect possession and score.
it seemed a fair goal and from a United point of view a dismal one. But a VAR review showed the ball bouncing up off United’s Maguire to strike Jimenez on the arm and the effort was rightly disallowed.
United were sketchy but despite this were reasonably dangerous when they had the ball themselves. Ruddy saved twice — high from Anthony Martial and low from Mata — before James was foiled by the goalkeeper after darting clear again.
By then Wolves had also come devilishly close, Matt Doherty planting a header against the post. The assistant’s flag went up but it was not clear whether that was against Doherty or the clearly offside Jimenez, who sought to follow up.
Anybody’s game at half-time, United were the better team thereafter. Wolves were dangerous on the break but the home team were more consistently threatening.
By the time Mata scored, James had already whipped a low shot inches wide.
At full time Mata declared ‘the good times are back’ and while that was indicative only of how far standards have slipped in stretford, this is a competition that United may yet have a significant say in. MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): Romero 7; Wan-Bissaka 6, Maguire 6, Lindelof 6, Williams 7; Matic 6, Fred 7; James 7.5 (Rashford 6, 63min; Lingard 79), Mata 7, Greenwood 6 (Pereira 6, 63); Martial 7. Subs not used: Grant, Jones, Dalot, Chong. Scorer: Mata 67. Booked: Fred, Maguire. Manager: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 7. WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS (3-4-3): RUDDY 8; Saiss 6, Coady 6, Dendoncker 6; Doherty 6, Moutinho 6, Neves 7, Jonny 6 (Vinagre 6, 75); Traore 7 (Buur 88), Jimenez 7, Neto 6 (Gibbs-White 6, 71). Subs not used: Patricio, Bennett, Kilman, Ashley-Seal. Booked: Neto, Dendoncker. Manager: Nuno Espirito Santo 6. Referee: Kevin Friend 6. Attendance: 67,025.