Manchester United started life without Erik ten Hag with a 5-2 win over Leicester in the Carabao Cup.
The Red Devils were in full flow as they breezed past the foxes at Old Trafford, marking Ruud van Nistelrooy’s time as interim boss with a victory.
Casemiro got the hosts off to a fast start, bending a spectacular effort into the top corner 15 minutes in.
He had another one on 39 minutes, but not before Alejandro Garnacho got Man Utd’s second with a well-placed finish inside the box and Bruno Fernandes also netted.
Leicester did initially make it 2-1 through Bilal El Khannous but the Foxes looked lost at the Theatre of Dreams.
Conor Coady scored on the stroke of half-time to make it 4-2 and put some tension back into the game.
But Fernandes got his brace in the second half and wrapped the game up for a resurgent Man Utd side.
The win means their name goes into the hat for the quarter-final draw.
Read on to discover the full match report from Manchester.
A feast of goals at Old Trafford! ⚽️#MUFC || #CarabaoCup
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 30, 2024
How it happened
The game kicked off with United dominating possession early on, although Leicester managed to settle in and control some midfield play.
However, United drew first blood 15 minutes in through Casemiro, who finished a sweeping move initiated by Garnacho.
Garnacho took on his marker down the left before cutting inside to feed Fernandes, who smartly left the ball for Casemiro.
The Brazilian midfielder unleashed a stunning curling effort from outside the box, finding the top right corner to make it 1-0.
Just 13 minutes later, United doubled their lead.
Casemiro turned provider with a lofted pass over the Leicester defence to Dalot on the right.
The full-back drilled a low cross to an unmarked Garnacho at the far post, who confidently slotted it past Leicester keeper Ward to put United firmly in control at 2-0.
L i c h a 🇦🇷#MUFC || #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/X08ICagL1F
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) October 30, 2024
Leicester fought back and pulled one back in the 33rd minute.
Bayindir’s attempt to punch clear a cross fell to El Khannouss, who capitalized on the mistake by firing a low shot that clipped the post and crossed the line, narrowing the deficit to 2-1.
But United’s response was immediate. Just two minutes later, Fernandes’ free-kick deflected off Justin and into the net, restoring United’s two-goal lead at 3-1.
With United pressing high and Leicester struggling defensively, Casemiro struck again before half-time.
His initial header hit the post, but he pounced on the rebound to smash the ball home, giving United a commanding 4-1 advantage. Leicester’s defence, however, continued to show fight, and just before the halftime whistle, Coady took advantage of United’s miscommunication at the back to reduce Leicester’s deficit to 4-2.
The second half saw both teams continue to press, though the pace slowed as United focused on controlling the game.
In the 59th minute, Fernandes completed his brace after capitalising on a misplayed back pass by Leicester’s Okoli.
Fernandes rounded Ward and slotted the ball past Coady, making it 5-2 and putting the game beyond reach for the visitors.
