Manchester United edged closer to a direct spot in the Europa League last 16 with a 2-1 win over Rangers in Thursday’s “Battle of Britain,” thanks to Bruno Fernandes’ dramatic late goal. Despite looking set for another disappointing result at Old Trafford after Cyriel Dessers equalized for Rangers in the 88th minute, Fernandes fired home in stoppage time to secure the win.
The victory lifted United to fourth in the group with one match left, as the top eight teams qualify directly for the last 16. Rangers, who slipped to 13th, may now find it difficult to secure a direct spot, though they showed resilience given their injury crisis. Manager Philippe Clement was forced to bring on two teenagers in the second half as Rangers’ injury woes worsened.
United had been under pressure following a 3-1 defeat to Brighton at the weekend, which had been labeled one of the worst performances in the club’s history. The early stages of the match saw United struggle to assert control, and Rangers missed a key opportunity when Nico Raskin’s shot was saved, and Ridvan Yilmaz’s rebound went over.
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Alejandro Garnacho, who is reportedly attracting interest from Napoli and Chelsea, had a chance to score but saw his shot deflected over. United thought they had scored from a corner when Matthijs de Ligt’s header was disallowed for a foul, with VAR not intervening.
Amad Diallo, who spent an unproductive loan spell at Rangers in 2021/22, had a quiet game, though he did test United’s goalkeeper Jack Butland with a shot. Rangers, already missing several key players due to injury, saw more players go off, including Leon Balogun, Connor Barron, and Vaclav Cerny, leaving them with few options on the bench.
The breakthrough came when Butland, making his first appearance for United, made a costly error by punching a corner into his own net. United failed to capitalize on the lead as Garnacho hit the post from close range, and Rangers had a chance to equalize when Dessers scored after Harry Maguire misjudged a long ball.
However, Fernandes rescued United once again with a well-taken goal in the dying moments, converting a cross from Lisandro Martinez through Butland’s legs. Rangers, despite the loss, still have a chance of making the playoffs, with a crucial match against Union Saint-Gilloise next week. Meanwhile, United need only a point against FCSB in Romania to secure their place in the last 16.
