By Ruud van Nistelrooy Begins Manchester United Tenure with Resounding Carabao Cup Victory
In a dominant Carabao Cup last-16 clash at Old Trafford, interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy guided Manchester United to a 5-2 win over Leicester City, marking his first game at the helm after Erik ten Hag’s departure. Goals from Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, and Alejandro Garnacho secured United’s place in the quarter-finals.
United, rebounding from their loss to West Ham under Ten Hag, showed renewed sharpness against a weakened Leicester side, as Steve Cooper rotated his squad with nine changes ahead of their Premier League match against Ipswich.
Casemiro set the tone with a stunning long-range strike, followed by Garnacho, who capitalized on a cross from Diogo Dalot to double United’s lead.
Fernandes, who hadn’t scored all season, found the net twice in the match, his first coming from a deflected free-kick shortly after Leicester’s Bilal El Khannouss pulled one back. Casemiro then extended the lead with his second goal off a rebound. Despite Leicester’s Conor Coady narrowing the margin just before half-time, Fernandes’ composed finish past goalkeeper Danny Ward sealed the victory.
Manchester United, Carabao Cup winners under Ten Hag in 2023, maintained their focus amid speculation surrounding the appointment of Ruben Amorim as the next manager. Leicester, however, seemed to prioritize league commitments over the cup competition.
