The boys of Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United crush Barnsley 7-0 in a carabao cup master class
Manchester United gave the Carabao Cup a collective shock by thumping Barnsley 7-0 at Old Trafford in a resounding exhibition of footballing. The match put up spectacular display of United’s attacking talent. That many players was able to get their name on the score sheet, among them Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho, and even Christian Eriksen and Antony, and United, under Erik ten Hag was way too strong for the lower league team: in the end the squad trudged through to the next round with hardly any contest.
The First Half: United Takes Early Control
Manchester United absolutely dominated play from the opening whistle as the game got underway. Barnsley was not able to keep up with the tempo and pace at which United played as they were part of the less prestigious leagues. The stalemate was not going to last; and in the 16th minute a Marcus Rashford goal did the trick. Alejandro Garnacho dictates a perfectly well-struck ball across and lets Rashford score almost from close range. From here onwards, thus was how the match would go on:.
United pushed hard and Barnsley erred and capitalized on what can be termed a short experience. The game was 35 minutes old when United was awarded the penalty for a foul inside the box by a Barnsley player with the Brazilian winger Antony given the duty to take the responsibility. Antony calmly converted the penalty to double United’s lead in an effort that marked a mountain to climb for Barnsley.
Tries to make the lead 3-0, Alejandro Garnacho scores United’s third goal in the dying minutes of time before the halftime. Snatching through ball from Rashford, the young Argentine winger slots past the Barnsley goalkeeper with finesse at the 45th minute. This almost seals the contest for United because the team goes into the halftime with a commanding lead.
Second Half: Garnacho and Rashford shine
In the latter stages of the match, Barnsley did not get any relief as Manchester United continued in its attack. Garnacho had already been a constant threat to the left hand side and scored his second goal of the match just four minutes after the restart, this time off a very well timed assist that came in from Christian Eriksen and gave him easy options to finish the chance and put the score up to 4-0.
Barnsley had no answer to United’s attack, and goals rolled in. In the 58th minute, Rashford netted his second of the night to complete a superb team move. Again, Garnacho was involved, flicking a clever pass through for Rashford to rifle into the net to make it 5-0. Barnsley’s defense was hopelessly overrun and Barnesy utterly overrun by United who showed no intention of taking it any easy for themselves.
Little changed in the nature of the game for what substitutes for the home team could do. United held the initiative while Barnsley barely had a realistic scoring chance. Meanwhile, Christian Eriksen remained the inspiration behind things in midfield, and his name featured twice on the scoresheet during the final 10 minutes. Eriksen’s first came as late as the 81st minute when Brun Fernandes planted an exquisite cross just into his stride for him to score United’s sixth goal.
Four minutes later, Eriksen scored again, this time with another assist from Fernandes to finish off the scoring at 7-0. It happened to be a forgettable night for Barnsley, who were simply outplayed by a ruthless United side.
Key Performances: Garnacho and Rashford Steal the Show
It was as if several United players looked to threaten, but it was not very surprisingly to anyone who had watched the game to date that Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford were the two players who produced deliveries that would haunt a good side for the rest of the night. Garnacho scored twice himself and had two assists, but his tremendous pace down the left wing proved a constant threat against Barnsley’s defense, being breached at every turn by his movement off the ball and wonderful link-ups with Rashford.
Whereas Rashford was an electric player, scoring two times and being clinical in finishing. The chemistry between Rashford and Garnacho has indeed been very productive in that the two strikers are well aware of spaces they need to capitalize on the lapses by Barnsley defence. Rashford quick vision in finding space has indeed been pretty noteworthy as United romped their way to victory.
Another coup of the trading season, however, was Christian Eriksen; he ran the tempo in midfield and scored two late goals. His vision and passing helped United control possession in a match where his two well-taken goals in the last 10 minutes added gloss to the scoreline.
Solidity in defense and team depth
If the match is to be remembered by United’s attacking performance, their defensive performance should not also be forgotten. Barnsley did not get a shot on target and United’s defense, which had Jonny Evans and Matthijs de Ligt, were tight at the back. Even when second-string goalkeeper Slonina came into the field, nothing changed, and Barnsley’s front lacked penetration throughout against United’s defense.
In similar fashion, Erik ten Hag utilized the match to showcase close to the entire team as well as minutes controlled for most of the players. And to that end, this cameo from the bench breathed new life into Amad Diallo’s game while Bruno Fernandes played centrally in midfield, scoring twice in a testament to his worth there. And the depth of Manchester United’s squad was also evidenced in the day with guys like Casemiro and Jadon Sancho taking a seat.
Barnsley Struggles
It proved to be a chastening experience for Barnsley, who could not cope up with the intensity and quality of their Premier League opponents. The visitors failed to get a foothold in the game and were left chasing shadows as United passed the ball around effortlessly. Though flashes of effort and commitment were shown by them, they were left out-of-classed in every department.
United’s attacking formations mounted persistent pressure on the Barnsley defense, which didn’t even manage to muster even a solitary shot on target. Then, after this woeful performance, it’s time for Michael Duff to lift his team out of this doldrums as they gear up to return to the league campaign.
Conclusion: United’s Domination
However, it was a 7-0 demolition of Barnsley that made pretty much the most powerful statement that Manchester United could in order to show depth and intent on different multi-fronts this season. The team dominated with attacking brilliance, defensive solidity, as well as a cohesive team game. Now the core has players like Rashford and Garnacho at their best. They will look forward to this momentum carrying into the later stages of Carabao Cup.
Again, Barnsley will learn from the defeat, and having reached this stage of the competition, the team will really take heart from this situation. At least for now, Manchester United continues its winning way, one more step closer to bringing home silverware, while Barnsley returns to the league battle.
Read more about related articles, just click here
