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Manchester United 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers: 3 Reasons why the Red Devils won the game | FA Cup 2019-20

Manchester United v Wolverhampton Wanderers - FA Cup Third Round: Replay
Manchester United v Wolverhampton Wanderers - FA Cup Third Round: Replay

On Wednesday, Manchester United prepared to welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to Old Trafford with an aim to secure passage into the fourth round of the FA Cup. The two teams had met earlier in the month at Molineux, playing out out a dull 0-0 draw which had resulted in a replay at Old Trafford in an already congested month of January for the Red Devils.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was aware that a repeat of the disappointing performance could see United exit the tournament. The Norwegian was also out to improve his unimpressive record against the Wolves. However, the Red Devils arrived into the game on the back of a thumping 4-0 win over Norwich City on Saturday, which had added to their confidence. Solskjaer was also wary of the trip to Anfield on Sunday and made three changes to the team that beat Norwich City.

Manchester United Starting XI: Sergio Romero; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Brandon Williams; Fred, Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata; Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial, Daniel James

Both teams had chances to score in the first half, but the game was evenly poised at the break, with the score 0-0. In the second half, United piled up the pressure on the away side and took the lead through Mata in the 67th minute. Wolves tried their best to get back into the game, but United held on to win the game 1-0.

Manchester United ensured that they continued to be involved in the FA Cup thanks to a resolute performance against Wolves. Here are three reasons why the Red Devils won the game


#3 Team Selection

Anthony Martial
Anthony Martial

Despite the fact that there was a game against Liverpool next weekend, Solskjaer opted against making too many changes to a winning team. After Mata’s weekend masterclass, he deserved a place in the team. The Norwegian ensured that the Spaniard had enough speed around him in the final third, opting for Greenwood, James and Martial to set up a frontline with just the right balance of youth and experience.

In the middle, Fred and Matic kept things simple but managed to be quite effective on the pitch for the home side. The back four was very close to the best that Solskjaer had at his disposal at the moment. When things looked tight in the second half, the Norwegian also brought on Marcus Rashford and Andreas Pereira to ensure that United had the tempo on their side. It is safe to say the Solskjaer got his team selection spot on and that helped the Red Devils win the game.

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