"Haaland this, Mbappe that" "Absolute nightmare to play against" - Manchester United fans in awe of 'fearless' youngster's outstanding display in 1-0 Real Sociedad win
Manchester United fans have lauded Alejandro Garnacho after the teenager scored in the side's 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad on 3 November.
The 18-year-old made just his fourth appearance of the season; it was a night the Argentine will never forget.
Garnacho grabbed the game's only goal in the 17th minute when the Red Devils broke forward with pace.
His idol Cristiano Ronaldo fed the teenager in with a perfect pass which the Argentine dribbled forward before he fired past Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro.
It was Garnacho's first goal of his senior career, and it was a memorable one.
The Red Devils secured the win over the Basque side but finished second in Group E of the Europa League.
It means Erik ten Hag's side will now face a playoff encounter against a side that have been eliminated from the Champions League in third place.
Garnacho's goal was not the only influence the teenager had on the game as he was a problem for Sociedad defenders throughout.
The Argentine had two shots, including the one he converted. He had 29 touches, managed 16 passes with an accuracy of 75%.
Manchester United fans are enthused by the new teenage prospect they have on their hands.
Some are even bringing his name into the debate over which of Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe is better.
Here are some reactions from supporters on Twitter to the teenager's brilliant night:
Haaland this, Mbappe that. https://t.co/0pLpGtZLLb
Garnacho, born July 2004, wasn't even born when Cristiano Ronaldo won his first trophy for Man Utd in May 2004.
18 years later, Garnacho's first goal for Utd was assisted by Ronaldo, and he celebrated it with Ronaldo's new celebration.
A stuff of dreams ❤️ https://t.co/vA0IsmDdn7
Alejandro Garnacho scores his FIRST goal for Manchester United, and it's an assist from his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo!!!
Football Heritage. https://t.co/ZOKHdBr5df
if this garnacho guy doesn’t make it we need to delete this sport. passes the name and aesthetics test with flying colours
Alejandro Garnacho (18y 125d) becomes the youngest non-English goalscorer in Europe for #mufc, a record previously held by George Best (18y 158d) 💫 https://t.co/4q2Gg0p6S0
Quite mad that Ten Hag is trusting Garnacho in a big European away game already tbf
Garnacho looks like an absolute nightmare to play against.
Reminds me a lot of Rashford in his early days; fearless.
Sporting CP are interested in Manchester United striker Ronaldo
Manchester United forward Ronaldo set up Garnacho with a delightful threaded pass.
It was his second assist of the season and he has also bagged three goals in 15 appearances across competitions.
However, speculation has grown over his future as he pushed for a departure in the summer due to the club not playing Champions League football this season.
According to TeamTalk's Graeme Bailey, his former side Sporting hold an interest in signing him.
Bailey said:
“Talk of Cristiano Ronaldo’s future won’t stop being a subject we talk about until we know where he is going and one of the few realistic destinations is Sporting Lisbon."
He added:
“Sporting had an interest in the summer, but coach Ruben Amorim was not on board. However, his stance in recent weeks has softened and I understand their interest overall remains in Ronaldo.”
The Portuguese forward's contract with the Red Devils expires next summer but there is the option of a one-year extension.
He rejoined Manchester United from Juventus in 2021 for £15.3 million and managed 24 goals in 38 appearances in the 2021-22 campaign.