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Sunday 20 April 2025 16:14
Manchester United were beaten on an Easter Sunday for the first time ever as Wolverhampton Wanderers claimed a narrow 1-0 win at Old Trafford in the Premier League.
Pablo Sarabia’s free-kick, in the second half, decided the tightly fought contest.
An epic European night under the lights on Thursday made way for the spring sunshine, and Ruben Amorim made five changes from our win over Lyon, including rests for Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot, as well as a first-team debut for Academy graduate Tyler Fredricson in the three-man defence.
But, despite United creating more overall and improving as the game progressed, Sarabia’s solitary strike in the final quarter of the game was enough for Wolves.
Victor Lindelof captained a rotated United XI.
FIRST HALF – LIMITED CHANCES
There was little to separate the sides through a somewhat bitty and cagey opening 10 minutes, with United just edging possession and asking a few more questions of Wolves in an attacking sense. When Kobbie Mainoo went down under pressure in the box from opposing centre-back Emmanuel Agbadou, Old Trafford roared in unison for a penalty, but referee Robert Jones was unmoved.
Wolves goalkeeper Dan Bentley, a late replacement for Jose Sa in the visitors’ line-up, also had to be alert to cut off a short back-pass that Rasmus Hojlund was chasing down. But, midway through the first half, it was Wolves who had the first actual attempt as Nelson Semedo blazed over from distance.
United went on to threaten with a pair of tantalising crosses from either side, ultimately to no avail, before a first shot on target of the contest came just over half an hour in. A dipping Christian Eriksen free-kick was palmed over by Bentley. Then, moments before the interval, Mainoo’s measured low curler had Bentley worried enough to dive to his left, but the shot flew wide of the far post.
Fans in the still vocal Stretford End spent chunks of the first half serenading several of the rested heroes of Thursday night as they warmed up along the touchline – Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro all received love and made sure to show their gratitude by applauding back.
Old Trafford was bathed in spring sunshine.
SECOND HALF – WOLVES KEEP THE DOOR SHUT
United began the second period brightly, with Hojlund denied by an inch-perfect tackle after he’d initially used superb strength and skill to break into space. There was also a huge moment of worry for Wolves when Semedo’s strongly hit back-pass briefly looked like it might evade Bentley and nestle in the goal, but instead landed in a safe position.
Amorim turned to the bench for a triple substitution as the hour mark approached, with Mason Mount entering the game alongside Dalot and Fernandes. But it was Alejandro Garnacho who created the next chance, delivering a teasing low cross to the far post that Hojlund was just unable to reach.
Pablo Sarabia fires in the winner from a free-kick.
Into the final 20 minutes and, as United pushed for a breakthrough with a little more sustained pressure than at any point prior, teenage substitute Chido Obi saw an attempted cutback intercepted when shooting himself might have been the better option. When Garnacho’s cutback from the other side did reach Fernandes, he was agonisingly unable to wrap his left foot around the ball and fired well wide.
Wolves had gone 77 minutes without registering a shot on target and yet took a late lead with their very first of the afternoon. After Matheus Cunha had been fouled by Eriksen, there was nothing Andre Onana could do about Sarabia’s curling dead-ball effort from 25 yards.
The search for another late United goal was ultimately unsuccessful. Mount fired high into the Stretford End from a great position and, shortly afterwards, was just unable to direct Eriksen’s exquisite cross into the net on the stretch, having beaten his marker to the ball. Finally, Fernandes couldn’t trouble Bentley with a free-kick of our own in stoppage time.
Late United pressure couldn’t produce a goal.
MATCH DETAILS
United: Onana; Mazraoui, Lindelof (c) (Yoro 78), Fredricson; Dorgu (Dalot 59), Eriksen, Ugarte (Fernandes 59), Amass; Garnacho, Mainoo (Mount 59); Hojlund (Obi 70).
Subs not used: Heaton, Evans, Casemiro, Maguire.
Booked: Dorgu 56, Eriksen 76.
Wolves: Bentley; Semedo (c) (R. Gomes 74), Bueno, Agbadou, Toti, Ait-Nouri (Doherty 82); Andre, J. Gomes, Munetsi, Cunha (Djia 90+4); Strand Larsen (Sarabia 74).
Subs not used: King, Traore, Doyle, Forbs, Mane.
Goal: Sarabia 77.
Booked: Andre 29, Ait-Nouri 48, Sarabia 80.
Attendance: 73,819.
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Sunday 20 April 2025 16:14
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