Report: United’s Champions League chances suffer blow

A 10-man Manchester United side missed the chance to go third in the Premier League standings after being denied crucial three points by Southampton who scored late on to salvage a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening.

Read: Man United vs Southampton – team news, match facts and probable lineups

Ole Gunnar Solksjaer named an unchanged starting XI, from the side that brushed aside Aston Villa 3-0, for the fifth time in a row – the first time this has happened for United in 27 years.

The Saints on the other hand also named the same players that has seen them take four points from their last two games (1-0 win over Man City and 1-1 draw against Everton).

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Manchester United and Southampton in action. (Image: Man United Twitter)

First half

The hosts made their intentions clear from as early as the second minute when Paul Pogba hammered a pass down the right flank to Bruno Fernandes, but Bednarek came across it first to put it out for a throw.

Southampton were brimming with confidence and charged forward, with Danny Ings chasing a loose ball down the left before finding Ryan Bertrand on the underlap, who put in a powerful low cross into the area, but it was too close to David De Gea who made an easy low catch.

United should’ve taken the lead in the 10th minute when Anthony Martial intercepted a back pass from Stuart Ward-Prowse to run clean through on goal, but Alex McCarthy came out and make himself big to pull off a superb one-hand save.

Man United were left to rue their missed chance as Southampton made it 1-0 in the 12th minute. Paul Pogba was dispossessed before Nathan Redmond drove into the box on the left hand. He looked up before clipping the ball to the back post, where Stuart Armstrong took a touch and fired past De Gea.

That lead was however shortlived as United pulled matters level a few minutes later through Marcus Rashford who fired into the far corner from inside the box with his left foot after being teed up by Anthony Martial.

Martial then made it 2-1 in the 23rd minute after picking up the ball up on the left before driving towards the edge of the box, skipping past Walker-Peters and then firing an unstoppable strike into the top left corner, for his 50th Premier League goal.

Pogba then tried his luck from range after being picked up by Fernandes on the edge of the Southampton box. The French midfielder unleashed a venomous strike 25 yards out from goal and forced a good save out of the keeper.

Martial also got in to try his luck from distance but his left-footed strike went high and wide.

Second half

The Saints had a chance to pull matters level just two minutes into the second period, but Redmond pulled his right-footed shot wide from the edge of the box.

Rashford was then put through on goal by Fernandes after intercepting a pass, but the United number 10 took too long to shoot before the Saints cleared their lines.

The England international then tried his luck from just outside the box but his ducking shot sailed just inches of McCarthy’s side netting.

Walker-Peters almost scored an equalizing goal in the 62nd minute but his shot into the United box sailed across the face of goal with no one to tap in at the far post.

It should have been 3-1 for United in the 68th minute after Rashford flicked the ball past Walker-Peters and then exchanged a one-two with Martial, but Bertrand got in the way with a goal looking inevitable.

Southampton almost caught United on the counter after charging down the left, but the coss into the box was cleared by Victor Lindelof for a corner kick.

In the 80th minute, Martial missed the chance to kill off the match after intercepting the Saints defence before charging forward but his effort towards goal sailed wide into the stands.

The visitors were unlucky not to have grabbed an equalizer moments after Redmond did well to get into the United box before firing a shot, but De Gea pulled off an almost perfect match-winning one-handed save to keep his side in the lead.

In the 97th minute, United hearts were broken after a corner kick was met by Michael Obafemi who was able to poke home from close range to see the match end 2-2.

Starting XI:

Manchester United: De Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Shaw, Matic, Pogba, Fernandes, Greenwood, Martial, Rashford.

Subs: Romero, Bailly, Mata, Andreas Pereira, Fred, James, Ighalo, McTominay, Williams.

Southampton: McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Stephens, Bednarek, Bertrand, Armstrong, Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Redmond, Ings, Adams.

Subs: Gunn, Vestergaard, Long, Obafemi, Hojbjerg, Smallbone, Vokins, Danso, Ferry.