Man United responded to Leeds’ hostility with a thrilling victory as Harry Maguire & Co. stepped up
LEEDS, UK – Elland Road waited 19 years for a Premier League clash between Leeds United and Manchester United in front of supporters. If the world was wondering what all that fuss was about, the teams delivered a classic encounter that ended with a Win 4-2 for Ralf Rangnick’s guests on Sunday.
This match showed the good, the bad and the ugly of this intense rivalry, with goals, late-match excitement and a frenetic, noisy atmosphere, as well as nine yellow cards by referee Paul Tierney delivered and a late confrontation involved both innings. The players saw Rangnick run into the field to intervene.
And there were also bad scenes off the pitch, with objects being thrown at various Man United scorers – Anthony Elanga was hit in the head – and a barrage of insults from both groups of supporters.
There are cases of Leeds supporters singing about the Munich disaster, a 1958 plane crash that killed eight Manchester United players, and waving to mimic an airplane. The away supporters responded with songs about two Leeds fans being stabbed to death in Istanbul before the 2000 game against Galatasaray.
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Sadly, this is the reality of the Leeds-Man United showdown that has been kept in cold storage for so long. While the clubs met in the league last season, following Leeds’ promotion from the Championship in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic ensured that matches at Old Trafford and Elland Road were kept tight. .
And so, Elland Road’s first encounter with the fans saw 900 police on duty, a record number for a Premier League game. It has become the norm that Man United suffer more hostility when they visit Leeds than when Liverpool or City of Manchester.
There is a historic regional rivalry dating back to the 15th century The War of the Roses between Yorkshire and Lancashire, but in modern terms the clubs do not share a city and both have geographical rivals. closer to each other.
On the football front, the hatred stems more from the long-standing complaint by Leeds supporters that their great side in the 1960s and 1970s never received the acclaim they claimed to have received. showering in front of sexier teams than Man United.
Furthermore, Leeds has never forgiven Eric Cantona’s move to Old Trafford in 1992. The French striker, who inspired Leeds’ league title at United’s expense last season, continues to be crowned champion. won the Premier League four times and became a worldwide legend in the Pennines, a range of mountains and hills separating the two cities.
In this latest meeting, which took place in heavy rain, absolute noise and the support of the home team it was clear that the Man United players were wrong in the early stages. It took time for Rangnick’s team to settle into a match that proved to be a harsh test of their determination and fighting spirit.
Initially, the positive feedback was Harry Maguire responded to negative headlines about him keeping the captaincy by scoring his first goal of the season. Title from a Luke Shaw corner ends a series of 139 such pieces without success and, when Bruno Fernandes Double the lead just before half-time, the points seemed safe.
However, the wishes of the Man United players were properly questioned when Leeds scored twice in a span of 58 seconds early in the second half. Rodrigo and RaphinhaThe visitors were back under the microscope.
Will they respond positively or, again, cower in the face of challenges and throw away the important points? Allowed to score from substitute player Fred and Elanga, an important step towards a top-four finish has been achieved and a performance that will put Man United well positioned for the upcoming trips. Atlético Madrid in Europe, as well as Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal in the tournament.
“It took us 15 minutes to control the game but then we started to play well; in the first half we were fully aware that we had to try with our front foot, but we conceded two goals. in two minutes and that changed the whole thing. Obviously the game,” Rangnick told BBC Sport. “The atmosphere was great but we showed some maturity and kept our posture.”
Maguire, Shaw and Scott McTominay inspire teammates with their commitment, while Jadon Sanchotaunted by Leeds fans with chants of letting England fail the final penalty shootout of Euro 2020, the assists registered for Fernandes and Fred in one of the performances his best since coming from Borussia Dortmund.
“We had to fight back and stick together,” said Maguire. “We know it’s a difficult place to come, but we know we have qualities and can hurt them. We said in the second half we needed to score more goals in the second half and we did. did it.”
As for the home side, Marcelo Bielsa’s side once again played with their front foot and got their fair share, but they also continued to leave the back door unlocked; both goals that Leeds conceded in the second half were failures to repel counter attacks. However, the atmosphere of Elland Road, as well as their willingness to attack, was enough to hold them back.
