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LONDON. — Ralf Rangnick said Manchester United’s fightback from blowing another half-time lead to beat Leeds 4-2 was the “best possible response” his side could give to reports of dressing room unrest yesterday.
Stories that Cristiano Ronaldo was set to replace Harry Maguire as United captain for the rest of the season were dismissed as “nonsense” by Rangnick this week.
Maguire responded by opening the scoring on 34 minutes before Bruno Fernandes added a second on the stroke of half-time.
Lost leads have been a feature of Rangnick’s interim spell in charge and United were punished for another slow start to a second half as Rodrigo’s fortunate cross and substitute Raphinha brought Leeds level.
This time, United bounced back to find a winner when Fred smashed in 20 minutes from time before Anthony Elanga sealed the points late on.
“Today it was important not only that we won the game but the way we reacted. That was the best possible response the team could give,” said Rangnick.
“A game like this one today you can only win as a team.”
On their first league visit to Elland Road in front of a capacity crowd in 19 years, the visitors were met with a hostile atmosphere and a tricky pitch in incessant rain.
United managed to weather the first Leeds storm to take control of the first half.
Maguire who broke the deadlock and United’s run of failing to score from a corner for more than a year with a powerful header from Luke Shaw’s delivery.
“I’m embarrassed by the stat,” said Maguire. “I’m a big part of that set play routine but as a team we’ve been nowhere near good enough. If we scored more from set pieces we’d be higher up the table.”
Five minutes into time added on at the end of the first half for a head injury to Robin Koch, United doubled their lead when Jadon Sancho’s inviting cross found Fernandes unmarked to head down past Ilan Meslier.
United had blown a half-time lead in three of their last four games, but on each occasion it had been a single-goal advantage.
Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ boosted their chances of European football next season as they held off a resurgent Leicester City to secure a 2-1 win at the Molineux in the Premier League yesterday. The home side got off to the perfect start when Ruben Neves fired them in front in the ninth minute with a superb strike from the edge of the box after being teed up by Raul Jimenez.
Rayan Ait-Nouri came close to doubling their lead in the 24th minute following some deft footwork by Daniel Podence, but the Frenchman’s effort flashed wide before Leicester sliced Wolves open with a slick team move to equalise before halftime.
Ademola Lookman put the ball in the back of the net but the goal was created by Youri Tielemans, who threaded a fine pass to Marc Albrighton before the winger squared it to Lookman. Leicester carried that momentum into the second half but Wolves struck against the run of play in the 66th minute when Podence’s low drive from outside the area beat Kasper Schmeichel.
The win lifted Wolves to seventh in the standings on 40 points after 24 games. Leicester remain in 11th place on 27 points. —Supersport
Online Reporter