Match Review: Atalanta 2-2 Manchester United

Manchester United leave it late once again against Atalanta, this time grabbing a late equaliser courtesy of Cristiano Ronaldo.
How did Manchester United set up?
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer opted once again for his three or five at the back system that served him so well against Tottenham Hotspur. However, this time with Victor Lindelöf injured it paved the way for Eric Bailly to come into the fray.
Paul Pogba’s Premier League suspension meant that the Frenchman could only rely on Champions League football for minutes so his selection was much anticipated. Marcus Rashford was the third and final change from the weekend’s lineup.
The Team (3-5-2):
David De Gea (GK), Eric Bailly (RCB), Raphael Varane (CB), Harry Maguire (LCB); Aaron Wan-Bissaka (RWB), McTominay (CM), Pogba (CM), Shaw (LWB), Fernandes (AM); Ronaldo (ST), Rashford (ST)
How it went down: Atalanta vs Manchester United
United suffered from another “ic” they failed to scratch early on. Last time out vs Atalanta, Mario Pasalic got the early goal vs an open United defence. This time around, United’s bolstered defence were pierced in just over 10 minutes by Josip Ilicic.
As per usual, United allowed the occasion to get the better of them and there was an erraticness about how Solskjaer’s men took to the game. Despite having the early opportunity to take the lead, as Mctominay’s deflected shot tickled the post, United were 1-0 down within minutes.
Embed from Getty ImagesTypically, the Reds upped the anti creating a number of half chances, a Ronaldo header that met a Paul’s Pogba cross was agonisingly wide as United tried to get back into proceedings.
One of the main issues was United’s sloppiness. The likes of Pogba and Mctominay in midfield failed to control the game, their sloppy passes meant that United constantly invited pressure and stopped United gaining any momentum. The performance of the midfield was much cause for concern throughout the entirety of the game.
The sloppiness of the side was embodied in Pogba’s lacklustre play that led to a softly conceded chance. Bailly was the man to come to the rescue and block Duvan Zapata’s shot in a typical Bailly fashion. Both Zapata and Bailly would go on to clash in good spirits for a number of chances.
Worryingly, following a continued Atalanta onslaught, Varane was withdrawn due to a non contact injury and was replaced by Mason Greenwood. The 20-year-old’s introduction meant a change to a flat back four with Greenwood taking up a position on the right side of attack.
Embed from Getty ImagesAs soon as Greenwood came on the message was clear, the ball needed to be moving quicker. And quickly it did move, some well-worked interplay and an impudent Fernandes back heel resulted in Ronaldo finding the net to put United back on level terms going into the break.
Second half
United came out of the blocks flying but once again the word erratic comes to mind when describing the approach. A lapse in concentration from the otherwise flawless Bailly allowed Zapata to get in behind the Ivorian from a ball over the top leaving Atalanta’s forward in a one-on-one with De Gea to make it 2-1 to the side in black and blue.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe next half an hour that ensued were boring from a United fans perspective, not only because the ball was being moved at a snails pace from left to right with no penetration, but because it made for all too familiar viewing. Changes were made and for the final 10 minutes both Jadon Sancho and Donny van de Beek were introduced to try and make things happen and they did. Sancho’s “hugging of the touchline” gave Atalanta something to think about creating spaces elsewhere. Before you could blink the ball was pin balling on the edge of the box only for Cristiano Ronaldo to strike on the volley past Juan Musso, levelling the score to earn United a point in Bergamo.
Points to note
While only on for under 10 minutes, Van de Beek and Sancho influenced the result. The two players may be on the fringes but they showed they’re more than capable of performing for the side. It would have made for a sensational narrative had Sancho’s pass that lad to Van de Beek‘s shot led to the winner but it wasn’t meant to be.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe saddest part is those minutes will probably be their last for a little while as Solskjaer is likely to favour “work ethic” “desire” and “passion” in this weekend’s derby.
Man of the Match – Eric Bailly
You just know when your forward scores twice to secure the points and you still end up with the man of the match accolade, you performed at a high level. That can be said for Bailly who was colossal his kamikaze-style defensive technique proved so vital for United who had lost Raphael Varane and were carrying an off-the-pace Harry Maguire.
Bigger Picture
Despite dropping points United sit top of Group F on seven points, only ahead of Villarreal who have an identical record in second place due to the head to head ruling. United will travel to Villarreal on the 23rd on what promises to be a riveting affair.
Before, a trip to Spain, United have the small matter of a Manchester Derby this weekend at Old Trafford. The wounds of the Liverpool tie are still fresh and United are still yet to perform convincingly, let’s just hope the boys can come together and perform for the fans on the day.
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