United u21s lose out in cup tie but receive a boost as talented star returns from injury

Manchester United U21s hosted RSC Anderlecht II at Leigh Sports Village on Tuesday night in the Premier League International Cup. United had earlier opened the competition with a 2-1 win over Athletic Club B back in September. First half The visitors started on the front foot, forcing a mistake from Godwill Kukonki but were unable to take advantage of the opening. The Belgian side’s press proved troublesome for United, who were pinned back in their own half for most of the opening exchanges. United’s first venture forward saw Jaydan Kamason, who made his first start since September, deliver a whipped cross into the box which was cleared and then fed back in by Jack Fletcher but Bendito Mantato was crowded out before he could get a shot away. Anderlecht found joy down United’s left side, with Jack Fletcher filling in as an unorthodox left back, drawing a couple of saves from Will Murdock. Murdock ensured Anderlecht failed to find the back of the net in the first half when he put his body on the line in the 35th minute, taking a strike straight to his face. Completely against the run of play, United were the ones who took the lead before the break. In the 45th minute, United’s corner was player short to Jack Fletcher who crossed centrally for captain Jacob Devaney to head in from close range. Second half Anderlecht drew level just two minutes into the second half, with Enzo Sternal finishing into an empty net from a rebound after Murdock made a good initial save. The 18-year-old Frenchman had featured for Marseille’s first team before making the move to Belgium. The second half continued in the same vein as the first, with Anderlecht looking far the better side. A tough task was made harder thanks to United’s own mistakes, one of which saw Devaney pass back straight to Terry Van de Ven who ran through to make it 2-1. In the 63rd minute, Yasin Ozcan went for a run from centre back through a wide open midfield before finishing inside the near post from 20 yards out. The job was finished 10 minutes later by Samuel Ntanda following another turnover in the United midfield. United now have a two-week break before they take on Tamworth in the National League Cup but the result will mean little as United have already been eliminated from the tournament. December 19th then marks an exciting night for United’s U21 side as they take on Borussia Dortmund at Old Trafford. Match facts United: Murdock; Kamason (Armer 46), Mills, Kukonki, J.Fletcher, Devaney, T.Fletcher, Mantato, Fitzgerald (Thwaites 56), Scanlon, Biancheri Subs not used: Byrne-Hughes, Helafu, Ibragimov, Lusale Booked: Kukonki, J.Fletcher Goals: Devaney 45 Feature image James Fearn via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Colm Murphy A football obsessed Canadian who moved to England to enjoy the beautiful game. Colm has been keen follower of Manchester United’s famed academy since seeing a fresh faced Adnan Januzaj for the club’s u18s and has been writing about football with a focus on youth development for over 10 years. You can follow him X: RedYouthUnited.