With an approximate 70% ball possession and 20 attempted shots — eight on target, United players will surely rue the missed chances as van Gaal’s men see their winning run halted by Newcastle at Old Trafford. PHOTO: AFP
Skipper Wayne Rooney had an early goal ruled out for offside as United, 1-0 winners in their opening two league games, dominated but it was Newcastle who went closest to scoring in the first half when Aleksandar Mitrovic hit the crossbar.
Substitutes Javier Hernandez and Antonio Valencia then had opportunities to snatch a late goal for the home team but Newcastle held firm to the draw through.
“It was a very important result for us,” said Newcastle skipper Fabricio Coloccini as the Toons ended a run of seven successive away league defeats. “It’s very hard to play at Old Trafford but we did all we could to stop them scoring. We were told to defend as well as possible and we did really well.”
The spotlight, however, would once again be on Rooney, who has made a mediocre start to the season having failed to score in 10 games.
Juan Mata was twice denied by goalkeeper Tim Krul and Memphis Depay was a constant threat but United nearly conceded against the run of play when Newcastle’s close-season signing Mitrovic rattled the bar with a thunderous header.
After their high-octane start, United finished the half on the back foot as Newcastle’s Ayoze Perez saw his shot squirm narrowly past the post.
United manager Louis van Gaal cut a frustrated figure at the break and his side did little to alleviate his discontent in the second.
The hosts handed a first league start to World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger and the German was solid yet unspectacular before being substituted in the 59th minute.
The game burst into life with a frantic final 10 minutes as Hernandez was denied by a fine Krul save before man-of-the-match Coloccini produced a superb block to thwart Valencia.
Chris Smalling headed against the post for United while Papiss Cisse was just wide after a counter-attack by Newcastle, who now have two points from three matches.
Otamendi bolsters City armada for Everton trip
Manchester City’s embarrassment of riches will be on show at Everton on Sunday when new £32 million signing Nicolas Otamendi starts his City career on the bench.
Otamendi joined City from Valencia on Thursday on a five-year contract to become their third major signing of the transfer window and take the club’s spending to the £100 million mark.
But manager Manuel Pellegrini confirmed that the Argentina international, 27, will have to wait to dislodge either captain Vincent Kompany or, more likely, former Porto teammate Eliaquim Mangala, who became the most costly defender in British football history at £42 million 12 months ago.
“At this moment, the way we are playing, it is impossible to move Kompany and Mangala from their positions,” said Pellegrini. “The team is in a good moment. We did not concede any goal in the last two games and will continue playing with the same [players].”
Meanwhile in the other matches, Chelsea travel to West Brom at the Hawthorns as newly-promoted Watford host Southampton.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 23rd, 2015.
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