Mazraoui impresses in new position at Manchester United: ‘He is our future’ | OneFootball

Manchester United had a hard time dealing with Bodo/Glimt on Thursday night, yet ultimately prevailed to win 3-2 in Ruben Amorim’s first game at Old Trafford.

United scored after just 81 seconds in Amorim’s first game in charge at Ipswich, and had a quick start again to score after just 48 seconds this time around. Goalkeeper Nikita Haikin inexplicably let Rasmus Hojlund close him down as he went to make a routine clearance, giving Alejandro Garnacho a simple tap-in.

Bodo/Glimt then turned the game on its head with two goals in four minutes from Hakon Evjen and Philip Zinckernagel to take the lead with just a quarter of the match gone.

Thankfully for United, Hojlund brought a scream of delight from Amorim with an outstanding finish to pull them level ahead of the interval. He then ultimately provided the win, turning home Manuel Ugarte’s cross from close range five minutes into the second period.

While United admittedly almost made a meal of this victory against Norwegian opposition, Amorim’s influence was starting to show. One player in particular that was feeling the impact, was former Ajax man Noussair Mazraoui.

Amorim chose former Feyenoord star Tyrell Malacia and Antony as wingbacks in this Europa League clash, with Mazraoui selected as one of the three central defenders. Slotting in alongside Lisandro Martínez and Matthijs de Ligt, it clearly worked out well, as the Moroccan international offered a solid assist-grabbing display.

“He’s a great player”, said Erik ten Hag’s successor as he praised Mazraoui’s performance, who came over from Bayern Munich last summer. “He’s our future. He always looks fresh, even though we have to be careful in every game. He’s the type of player we need.”

Mazraoui played in various roles in the team during his first months at Old Trafford. Ten Hag even once put him in the number 10 position.

“I’ve played in four positions and I do my utmost in all of them. I think I’m a versatile player,” Mazraoui told MUTV. “For me as a defender, providing an assist is the best feeling. That doesn’t happen very often.”

GBeNeFN | Max Bradfield