Man Utd 5-2 Leicester: Player ratings as free-scoring Red Devils bounce back in Carabao Cup

Manchester United are into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals for the sixth time in nine years after Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first game in temporary charge resulted in a 5-2 win over Leicester City.

There were six goals in the first half alone and United’s four before half-time was as many as they had managed in the final four games of Erik ten Hag’s reign.

Casemiro’s brace ultimately set the tone for the hosts, bookending his team’s first half goal. Alejandro Garnacho had made it 2-0 inside half an hour, with Bilal El Khannous pulling one back for Leicester. But two from Bruno Fernandes – his first goals of the season – either side of what proved to be another Foxes consolation from Conor Coady – capped a convincing attacking display.

How the game unfolded

With all the attention firmly on Van Nistelrooy, United were the dominant side in possession as the tie began. It was Leicester who had the first sight of goal courtesy of Jordan Ayew, but ultimately a comfortable one for Altay Bayindir in the home goal.

There was nothing comfortable about the one Casemiro smashed into the top corner with 15 minutes on the clock. It was a good move from United that started at the back and saw Lisandro Martinez lift the ball forward into Garnacho. His cutback was dummied by Fernandes, with Casemiro opening up his body and driving the ball goalward from 30 yards.

Casemiro was involved again when Garnacho doubled the lead just over 10 minutes later, feeding the ball into space in front of Diogo Dalot, whose sweeping cross was converted at the far post.

A glorious chance for a third inside half an hour was presented when Conor Coady gifted Fernandes possession just outside the Leicester box. But the United captain was caught in two minds whether to shoot or pass, and in the end did neither.

That squandering briefly threatened to be a way back into the game for Leicester, who then pulled one back when El Khannous took advantage of a weak punch from Bayindir by firing in a low shot that struck both posts before nestling in the back of the net.

But when Van Nistelrooy’s team struck twice in quick succession in the closing stages of the first half, the tie was basically done. Fernandes had a smile on his face after a wicked deflection off Leicester full-back James Justin carried his free-kick into the net, before Casemiro scored his own rebound from close-range after his initial header came back off the upright. Remarkably, Casemiro was then only inches away from a first half hat-trick when another header narrowly missed.

Leicester’s second of the night in stoppage time before the break had an element of chaos about it, a cross not dealt with and dropping into Coady’s path after the ball struck an unwitting Dalot. But given that the Foxes had pulled another back so close to the interval, it was important for United to take any sting out of the game once the action resumed. They did just that and went on to get a fifth.

Fernandes hadn’t capitalised when gifted a chance in the first half, but perhaps buoyed by having already scored once, he made no mistake the second time an hour in. Caleb Okoli’s pass back towards his own goalkeeper was woefully short and Fernandes picked it off, casually taking the ball round Danny Ward and blasting in from only a couple of yards out.

Substitute Amad Diallo went close to a sixth with an acrobatic attempt, while Bayindir atoned for any blame regarding Leicester’s first goal at the other end when he tipped a powerful strike from Boubakary Soumare onto the crossbar.

But with the game over as a contest, mass substitutions from both sides killed any real momentum or rhythm into the closing stages.

Man Utd player ratings (4-2-3-1)

GK: Altay Bayindir - 6/10 - Carried on in this competition after starting in the previous round and will have expected to better with the first Leicester goal. Made a spectacular stop later on though.

RB: Diogo Dalot - 6/10 - With a glaring miss aganst West Ham still fresh in the mind, his far post cross towards Garnacho for United's second was inch perfect.

CB: Matthijs de Ligt - 6/10 - Deserves credit for the aggressive front foot defending which won his team the ball from which they took the lead. Probably therefore should have commanded the situation much better when Leicester scored their second.

CB: Victor Lindelof - 5/10 - In for just his second start of the season and not up to speed just yet. It was a poor attempt to stop the cross that led to Leicester pulling the first back.

LB: Lisandro Martinez - 6/10 - Functional rather than outstanding, not in his preferred role.

CM: Casemiro - 9/10 - A colossal performance from the veteran after much criticism in recent months. Scored twice and nearly had a hat-trick, but all over the pitch putting his stamp on the game.

CM: Manuel Ugarte - 8/10 - Not glamorous but effective. Won tackles and didn't give the ball away.

RM: Marcus Rashford- 6/10 - Had some moments of positive interplay but will be disappointed on a night when the goals were flowing that he wasn't more involved.

AM: Bruno Fernandes (c) - 8/10 - His first goal of the season had a slice of luck with it, but he won't care to finally be off the mark. His next was also a gift, although required composure and skill too.

LM: Alejandro Garnacho - 8/10 - Continues to be the most consistent source of attacking threat. Took his goal very well and also gets assist credit for Casemiro's opener.

ST: Joshua Zirkzee - 5/10 - Often felt like the spare man in attack. Saw one reasonable second half chance beaten away, but too much on the periphery.

Substitutes

SUB: Noussair Mazraoui (63' for Martinez) - 6/10

SUB: Amad Diallo (63' for Rashford) - 6/10

SUB: Jonny Evans (72' for De Ligt) - 6/10

SUB: Rasmus Hojlund (73' for Garnacho) - 6/10

SUB: Ethan Wheatley (85' for Zirkzee) - N/A

Subs not used: Tom Heaton (GK), Harry Amass, Jack Fletcher, Jayce Fitzgerald.

Manager

Ruud van Nistelrooy - 8/10 - Received a rapturous welcome from the Old Trafford crowd. Didn't make any unexpected changes to the lineup, but clearly brought new energy. Defence needs work.

Leicester City player ratings (4-2-3-1)

GK: Danny Ward - 5/10 - Not helped by the poor defensive display in front of him.

RB: James Justin - 4/10 - Lost track of Garnacho at the far post for the second United goal and had his work cut out against the winger. It would be harsh to blame him for the deflected free-kick.

CB: Conor Coady - 5/10 - Almost directly gifted the hosts a goal with a dreadful pass out from the back, although he took his own chance to score extremely well.

CB: Caleb Okoli - 4/10 - Weak even before he gifted United a fifth goal with a slack back pass.

LB: Luke Thomas - 5/10 - Made an effort to get forward in support of the attack but, as a result of that, was nowhere to be seen when United's second goal was created down his flank.

CM: Boubakary Soumare - 4/10 - Made no attempt to put Casemiro under any sort of pressure as he lashed in from distance to open the scoring. Statuesque and disinterested as the fourth went in.

CM: Oliver Skipp - 6/10 - Made plenty of defensive interventions in midfield and it could have been much worse without him.

RM: Kasey McAteer - 6/10 - Looked dangerous when he had the ball, taking shots of his own and creating chances, but it was too infrequent to make a huge difference.

AM: Bilal El Khannous - 7/10 - It was a difficult skill to control his effort that reduced the score-line to 2-1. Probably Leicester's best source of general creativity.

LM: Bobby Decordova-Reid - 5/10 - A bright start but limited impact overall.

ST: Jordan Ayew - 6/10 - Made a positive start to the game, dropping deep to link play, which forced the hosts to foul him more than once.

Substitutes

SUB: Will Alves (71' for El Khannous) - 6/10

SUB: Jannik Vestergaard (71' for Okoli) - 6/10

SUB: Facundo Buonanotte (72' for Decordova-Reid) - 6/10

SUB: Stephy Mavididi (72' for McAteer) - 5/10

SUB: Odsonne Edouard (72' for Ayew) - 5/10

Subs not used: Daniel Iversen (GK), Ricardo Pereira, Harry Winks, Wilfred Ndidi.

Manager

Steve Cooper - 4/10 - Happy for the attention to be on his counterpart, but nine changes appeared to upset the balance of his team.

Player of the match - Casemiro (Man Utd)

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