Match Report: Ipswich Town 1-1 Manchester United | OneFootball

Manchester United were held to an entertaining 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town on Sunday evening.

It was a momentous occasion for Man United, with new manager Ruben Amorim taking to the touchline for the first time since arriving at the club on 11 November. United fans were no doubt curious to see how the Portuguese manager would fare in his first outing in his new role.

Unfortunately, it was a moment in which United lost their concentration that cost Amorim his first victory on his debut.

It was a dream start for Amorim’s team, with Marcus Rashford scoring within 90 seconds. Amad Diallo and Bruno Fernandes enjoyed a slick one-two, with Amad on the receiving end of the ball behind the halfway line. Amad then burst forward, threading a through ball to Rashford in the centre of the box, with the striker thumping the ball into the back of the net.

Six minutes in, it appeared as if Amad would make his second assist when he sprinted down the right flank and pass the ball back to Eriksen in the middle. The Dane’s long-range effort breezed wide.

A few minutes later, it was the home side’s turn to attack. Sammie Szmodics got on the end of a threatening cross, taking a snapshot on the edge of the box that Andre Onana expertly saved at full stretch.

For much of the opening stages, United looked slick and confident under Amorim. The team dominated the ball, playing an intricate web of passes. In the 18th minute, Alejandro Garnacho passed the ball to Bruno Fernandes in the centre, who decided to cut the ball back to Garnacho. The Argentine tried to curl in a shot from the edge of the box, only for it to veer wide.

In the 28th minute, United gave away a free kick from a dangerous position when Jonny Evans brought down Liam Delap on the edge of the box. While Omari Hutchinson’s free-kick was on target, Onana was able to catch the shot while remaining rooted to the spot.

The hosts won a corner, with Hutchinson unleashing a volley from close range that Diogo Dalot bravely blocked. That was arguably the underdogs’ best scoring chance of the match so far.

Dalot tried his luck at scoring seven minutes from half-time; however, his attempt was off target.

Moments later, Ipswich were within touching distance of equalising. In a lapse of concentration from United’s defence, an unmarked Delap raced into the box, taking a shot off a through ball just metres from the goal line that Onana expertly saved with his leg. it was only thanks to the Cameroonian’s breathtaking heroics that United maintained their lead.

In the 43rd minute, Ipswich got the goal they deserved. Hutchinson took a left-footed shot from distance that glided into the top left corner. United desperately needed to step things up again to have a shot at grabbing three points.

On the stroke of half-time, Delap slammed into Noussair Mazraoui as the pair jostled for possession. It was a malicious-looking shove from Delap, with Mazraoui rising to his feet and squaring up to the striker in frustration. While players from both teams jumped in to dissolve the situation, the Ipswich striker managed to walk away without a warning from the referee.

It was an interesting half of football, with plenty of attacking intent from both sides. Still, Amorim needed to enforce defensive discipline in order to prevent further Ipswich goals. Perhaps a few substitutions would have also come in handy, with Casemiro and Jonny Evans both looking fatigued as they made their way down the tunnel.

Moments after the restart, United launched a blistering counter, with Fernandes threading the ball to Garnacho, whose left-footed strike was parried by the goalkeeper. A promising start to the second half by a determined-looking United team.

51 minutes in, Wes Burns slotted a through ball into the box, with Delap tipping the ball goalward. It was another fine save from Onana that kept the scores level.

Garnacho sprinted into the box with the ball moments later, however, he was dispossessed with a sliding tackle. Fernandes then took an opportune shot that was blocked.

Amorim decided to bring on some fresh legs in the 55th minute, with Luke Shaw replacing Jonny Evans for his first appearance since February. Manuel Ugarte replaced a tired-looking Casemiro.

With 23 minutes to go, Amorim decided to step up his team’s attacking efforts by bringing on both Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee. They replaced Rashford and Eriksen.

Zirkzee decided to try his luck in front of the goal. However, his shot sailed high over the crossbar.

With little over 12 minutes to play, United were handed a free-kick from just outside the box. Fernandes squared up to take it, however his shot floated just inches wide of the upright.

Mazraoui went down following a head clash, thereby bringing a halt to the match. After receiving medical attention on the pitch, he was able to return to action.

With five minutes of regular time to play, Mason Mount came on for Garnacho.

A minute later, Ipswich were on the attack. Jack Clarke sent a cross to fellow substitute Conor Chaplin, whose shot was expertly saved by Onana.

After four minutes of stoppage time, neither side could find a breakthrough as the referee called time on an entertaining albeit frustrating draw for United.

Perhaps the team will need more time to acclimate to Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation in order to find their groove.

Starting XI: Onana, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Fernandes, Rashford, Eriksen, Amad, Garnacho, Casemiro, Dalot, Evans Subs: Shaw, Ugarte, Hojlund, Zirkzee, Mount

Feature image Richard Pelham via Getty Images

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