Manchester United 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers: Raphael Varane heads winner

Raphael Varane scored the winner 14 minutes from time as Manchester United gained a lucky win in opposition to Wolves of their opening recreation of the brand new Premier League season.

The right-back calmly lifted the bouncing ball to the sting of the six-yard field, the place Varane used his top to get above Nelson Semedo and head house.

It was extraordinarily harsh on Wolves, who made gentle of final week’s change of supervisor to supply an excellent efficiency in Gary O’Neil’s first recreation in cost.

O’Neil was booked for his protests in claiming for a late penalty as United clung on for a lucky victory.

United’s debutant goalkeeper Andre Onana prevented punishment in added time for charging into Sasa Kalajdzic as he clattered into the Wolves striker when he got here for a cross with out making contact with the ball.

Matheus Cunha ought to have given Wolves the lead earlier than then as Pablo Sarabia’s low cross discovered him unmarked simply past the far submit however regardless of steadying himself, the Brazilian hit the skin of the upright.

Cunha fizzed a low shot broad simply earlier than the break and Pedro Neto fired straight at Onana earlier than Varane’s decisive effort whereas Fabio Silva had two goal-bound efforts saved as Wolves pressed for an equaliser.

Sir Alex says United want Hojlund match

In the build-up to the sport US broadcaster NBC was given a pitchside interview with Sir Alex Ferguson.

The legendary United boss praised the work Ten Hag is doing and mentioned the scenario for his outdated membership would enhance markedly as soon as £72m ahead Rasmus Hojlund has recovered from the again damage he arrived from Atalanta with.

Not lengthy afterwards, Hojlund took his seat alongside Tom Heaton and Jonny Evans in the back of the administrators’ field.

Sir Alex’s phrases got added credence when the sport began as Marcus Rashford didn’t make any influence as the primary striker and Alejandro Garnacho and Antony had been equally muted on the flanks.

Perhaps it mustn’t have been a shock given in 11 conferences over the previous 4 years solely twice have these two sides managed to supply greater than a single objective between them.

United’s different new outfield recruit Mason Mount additionally didn’t make an influence and in a recreation the place a lot of their offensive play was common, Fernandes’ impressed cross to create the objective stood out.

The Old Trafford crowd do have a brand new hero in Onana although. The Cameroon keeper produced a conservative efficiency with the ball at his ft and didn’t enterprise too removed from his objective when the house facet pressed ahead.

However, the saves he made had been essential and the reception the previous Ajax and Inter Milan man obtained from the stands indicated the house followers are very a lot on his facet.

Defiant Wolves nonetheless can’t discover the online

That O’Neil spent the speedy seconds after the ultimate whistle nonetheless unable to grasp that his facet had been denied a penalty and the Wolves followers bellowed their assist for his or her new supervisor and his workforce mentioned all the things about how the guests performed.

O’Neil made a degree of claiming earlier than the sport that “golf equipment usually get six weeks” to organize for his or her opening recreation. The former Bournemouth boss bought 4 days.

What patterns of play and mixtures he may have labored on in that point is debatable and his predecessor Julen Lopetegui should deserve some credit score for delivering Wolves’ gamers by way of their summer time uncertainty to have the ability to carry out in addition to they did.

Cunha was excellent in all elements however one. His monitoring again, runs from deep, and willingness to create space had been all high class – however he’s a striker and desires to attain, and he wasted Wolves’ greatest likelihood.

After Matheus Nunes’ surging run ahead, he took up precisely the right place as Sarabia despatched his low cross to the far submit.

The angle was not perfect however Cunha opened his physique as much as give himself the most effective likelihood of changing – but nonetheless missed.

Scoring targets has been an issue for Wolves for a while now and amid many points at Molineux, it’s a key one O’Neil wants to unravel.

Dual Old Trafford protests

A brand new season has introduced no decision to 2 urgent off-field issues at Old Trafford.

The possession scenario, triggered by the launch of a ‘strategic evaluate’ final November, stays unresolved.

And the way forward for Mason Greenwood – whose legal expenses had been all dropped within the spring however which triggered an inner investigation into his conduct – is but to be finalised.

Most outsiders anticipated there can be willpower to resolve each issues by now and the absence of readability introduced protests surrounding each points exterior the stadium earlier than the sport.

The ‘Glazers Out’ chants transferred inside the bottom and won’t go away.

The banners across the Greenwood scenario underline the place United discover themselves in coping with somebody who legally carried out nothing fallacious.