Match report: Ipswich 1 United 1

Sunday 24 November 2024 18:30

Manchester United were denied victory in Ruben Amorim's first game as head coach on Sunday, as Ipswich Town fought back to earn a 1-1 draw at Portman Road.

The Portuguese was presented with a near-perfect start by his new players, when Amad crossed for Marcus Rashford to stab home his fifth of the season within two minutes.

But Ipswich levelled just before half-time, via a smart strike from outside the area by Omari Hutchinson.

Amorim made a raft of changes throughout the second half, but United were unable to find the winner that would have handed our new boss three precious Premier League points.

FIRST HALF – REDS PEGGED BACKHad Amorim dreamed of the perfect start when he fell to sleep last night, he could scarcely have conceived of anything better than the move which led to Marcus Rashford's opening goal in just the second minute.

An entrepreneurial burst down the Ipswich left from Amad – in his new role at right wing-back – was the catalyst. The Ivorian international ran the ball from well inside the United half, eventually creating enough space to cross with his right. Rashford snuck in ahead of opposition goalkeeper Arijanet Muric to stab home, and the 3,000 Reds in the Cobbold Stand were in dreamland.

But what followed during the rest of the first 45 was less fantastical. Ipswich slowly wormed their way back into the contest, and drew a strong save from Andre Onana via Sammie Szmodics's drive from distance. Garnacho swerved one wide shortly after, but United's attacking threat faded as the half wore on.

The Tractor Boys should really have levelled five minutes from time, when smart work from Leif Davis down the left carved open what seemed a gimme for in-form striker Liam Delap.

But Onana produced a remarkable stop with his outstretched right hand to keep United's lead in tact, though Delap really should have ensured the Cameroonian had no chance.

But Kieran McKenna's side were at 1-1 soon enough, when Omari Hutchinson cut in from the right and launched an excellent left-footed strike towards Onana's top right-hand corner. It crashed in via an unfortunate deflection from the top of Noussair Mazraoui's head, which hardened Onana's task, but the East Anglians deserved their first-half parity after a committed and composed fightback.

SECOND HALF – STALEMATEWhen the teams restarted, United almost reproduced the start to the beginning of the match, when Garnacho had the chance to score within seconds. Unfortunately, Muric was down well to parry his low effort from a narrow angle.

But again, Ipswich regrouped, and almost took lead when Delap flicked a low cross towards goal from inside the six-yard box. Thankfully for United, Onana was again on red alert. United had decent chances to find the target when Garnacho burst clear, and when Rashford and Bruno exchanged a neat one-two on the edge of the area, but good defending from Cajuste and O'Shea, respectively, put the lid on both moves.

A few minutes before the hour mark, Amorim utilised his substitutes bench for the first half, introducing his former Sporting charge Manuel Ugarte and Luke Shaw, who was making his first United appearance since February.

There were more changes when Hojlund and Zirkzee replaced Eriksen and Rashford with just over 20 minutes left, but things remained evenly poised for the remainder of the contest.

Zirkzee blasted over from the edge of the area, and Bruno Fernandes's low free-kick whistled just by Muric's right-hand post, but Ipswich also mounted phases of pressure too.

Substitute Conor Chaplin didn't quite connect with Jack Clarke's cutback with just minutes remaining, while Amad's enterprising dribble and shot in added time was stifled by a mass of opposition bodies. Ruben's Reds begin with a point. 

MATCH DETAILS

Ipswich: Muric, O'Shea, Burgess, Tuanzebe, Davis, Cajuste (Taylor 56), Morsy, Hutchinson, Szmodics (Clarke 65), Burns (Chaplin 82), Delap (Al-Hamadi 81).

Subs not used:

Goal: Hutchinson 43.

United: Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Evans (Shaw 56); Amad, Casemiro (Ugarte 56), Eriksen (Zirkzee 68), Dalot; Fernandes (C), Garnacho (Mount 86); Rashford (Hojlund 68).

Subs not used: Bayindir, Malacia, Mainoo, Antony.

Goal: Rashford 2.

Attendance: 30,017.

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