Report: Wolves 3 United 4

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Wolves 3 - Man United 4: Match Recap

On the evening of February 1, 2024 at 10:45 PM, we have an update in the blog section.

On Thursday night, Manchester United secured a valuable victory over Wolves with a remarkable performance from their young player Kobbie Mainoo, who demonstrated exceptional talent and skill to score a crucial goal in a 4-3 win. This result was very significant for the team, as it earned them three valuable points in the league.

Erik ten Hag's squad had an excellent beginning to the game. Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund each put the ball in the net during the first 25 minutes.

The Wolves team reduced our lead in the 70th minute after gaining a penalty that was converted by Pablo Sarabia. However, Scott McTominay quickly responded with a header and scored our third goal shortly after.

Towards the end of the game, Max Kilman and Pedro Neto made a remarkable comeback to level the score 3-3, but unfortunately, Mainoo's exceptional effort in the final moments saved United and earned them three points. This incredible win occurred in the time popularly known as 'Fergie-time', which is the extra added time at the end of a football match.

Rashford and Hojlund's developing connection was once again very impressive in the Black Country.

Almost flawless, that's how Erik ten Hag must have felt when he closed his eyes last night and drifted into a deep slumber. He probably couldn't have scripted a better beginning for his team than the one they delivered, and even Marcus Rashford couldn't deny it.

The United hometown hero had a challenging week, but they responded perfectly with a first-time finish in just five minutes. The goal was a result of great teamwork on the right side of the field by Garnacho and Dalot. Dalot passed the ball to Hojlund, who was near the penalty spot, and then he passed it to Rashford. Rashford took a fantastic shot and scored with the help of Hojlund. This goal shows that they have a great partnership.

The Red Army of United were thrilled as their team continued to skillfully maintain control of the game. Casemiro attempted a few shots that missed the mark despite their composed build-up play. Hojlund, who had been performing well, finally scored United's second goal in the 22nd minute. This was a well-deserved point for his efforts.

The outcome of the Dane's performance had an element of good luck, but he earned it by making a run towards the close post. As Rashford passed the ball to Shaw on the left side of the penalty area, Hojlund impressively anticipated what was going to happen next.

He glided towards the left-back's fast-moving low pass, and even though there was some confusion involving Wolves defender Craig Dawson and their goalkeeper Jose Sa, the ball managed to bounce off Hojlund's foot and into the goal.

There were many exciting moments before the end of the game: Casemiro almost scored with a header, Hojlund was close to getting a goal by putting pressure on Sa, Fernandes missed a great chance when Garnacho set him up, and Varane shot the ball over the goal. Additionally, the linesman disallowed two 'goals' due to offside, by Hojlund and Casemiro.

It's rare to feel let down even when you're up by two goals on an away game, but that's exactly how the players felt as they made their way back to the locker room.

Hojlund's second goal was cancelled due to an offside decision right before the end of the first half.

The second half of the game was absolutely insane! Shockingly, Wolves continued to make mistakes, but even with that advantage, United still couldn't secure a three-goal lead that would have put the game to bed.

To begin with, the Reds team made a crucial move in defense during the game. Lisandro Martinez made an impressive clearance when Max Kilman headed towards the goal after Pedro Neto's free-kick. Andre Onana, the goalkeeper, was unable to make a save, but thanks to Martinez's skillful move, the goal was prevented.

Following that, the opportunities continued to arise. Casemiro attempted a header that went directly towards Sa, then the goalkeeper from Wolves had an impressive save at a short distance from Hojlund.

Martinez made a fantastic move that helped United maintain their 2-0 lead.

At last, after about an hour, Wolves started to put on some serious pressure, fueled by the support of their home fans. Onana managed to deflect Dawson's shot that was deflected to avoid any danger, but Cunha and Doyle missed their shots and overshot the mark.

After a series of opportunities for the Wolves, we were eventually penalized for failing to score a goal. Casemiro was accused of a slight touch on Neto in the box, resulting in a lengthy delay as officials reviewed the play. Despite minimal evidence, the penalty was upheld and Sarabia scored. However, the excitement did not end there. Shortly after, McTominay replaced Casemiro, who had been shown a yellow card, and quickly headed in a corner from Fernandes for a goal.

There were more surprising moments in the match. Kilman scored from close range within the six-yard box. Then, after United had more opportunities to score, Neto's attempt was accidentally deflected past Onana in the 5th minute of 9. It was really upsetting. However, this heartbreak lasted only for a minute. The most astonishing moment of the match was still on its way. Kobbie Mainoo received the ball in the inside-left channel, passed two opposing players effortlessly, and kicked a magnificent shot that curved beautifully into the net off the post, leaving Sa with no chance to stop it.

There was a lot of excitement in the United end, dugout, and on the field as some of the substitutes even joined in the celebrations. The most important thing was that the team had finally achieved the desired result, thanks to Mainoo's exceptional performance, which was his best yet at only 18 years old.

Mainoo scored his second goal in a row, and it was the one that made all the difference, even though the final 20 minutes of the game were full of surprises.

Wolves took on their opponents with a starting line-up of Sa in goal, Kilman as captain and Dawson and Toti in defense. Semedo, Lemina, Doyle, and Doherty were in midfield, while Neto, Bellegarde, and Cunha formed the attacking trio. The team made a substitution, replacing Doherty with Ait-Nouri in the 55th minute and bringing in Fraser and Sarabia for Doyle and Bellegarde in the 82nd and 64th minutes, respectively.

Replacements: Bentley, Santiago Bueno, Hugo Bueno, Hodge, Chirewa.

Targets: Sarabia scores 71st-minute goal, Kilman nets 85th-minute strike, Neto secures victory with a goal in stoppage time (90+5).

United's lineup for the game consisted of Onana in goal, with Dalot, Varane, Martinez, and Shaw taking their places in defense. Casemiro was substituted in the 73rd minute for McTominay, while Mainoo played in midfield alongside him. Garnacho was taken off in the 90th minute and replaced with Evans. Fernandes captained the team and played as the attacking midfielder, with Rashford joining him up front. Hojlund was brought off in the 86th minute to be replaced by Forson.

Replacements: Bayindir, Kambwala, Amad, Eriksen.

Reserved: Casemiro, Martinez, Onana, Garnacho, Shaw.

Objectives: Rashford scored five times, Hojlund netted the ball at the 22-minute mark, McTominay recorded a goal at the 75th minute, and Mainoo secured the victory with a score at the 97th minute.

It's the night of Thursday 01 February 2024, and the time is currently 10:45pm.