Fernandes dazzles as Manchester Utd start season with a bang
Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier looks on as Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes scores their side's first goal at Old Trafford
BRUNO Fernandes opened the new season in the same way he had conducted much of the last as his 30-minute hat-trick swept Manchester United to a breathtaking victory at a packed Old Trafford.
With the stadium full for the first time in 524 days, the United playmaker turned in a memorable performance as his team responded to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s calls for improved home form in the new campaign.
The Portuguese playmaker handed United a first half lead and, after Leeds had equalised, he spearheaded a brutal and clinical response from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side which swept them to victory.
Fernandes, who found the net 28 times in all competitions last season, struck the opener after half an hour of an absorbing season opener.
Scott McTominay broke up a Leeds move and fed Paul Pogba with a pass which the Frenchman chipped forward for the Portuguese international.
At full stretch, Fernandes took a controlling touch before switching feet and thumping an unstoppable shot past Illan Meslier.
A packed Old Trafford erupted at the first goal of the new campaign but Marcelo Bielsa’s side packed a threat and grabbed a deserved - and spectacular - equaliser three minutes into the second half.
Stuart Dallas was unmarked at a Leeds throw-in and found his team mate with a short pass which Ayling deposited past David de Gea from 25 yards.
It was an early-season test of United’s character and one they passed with flying colours as Mason Greenwood restored their lead after 52 minutes.
Again, Pogba was the creator with a superbly weighted curling pass which allowed the young striker to sprint away from Pascal Struijk, into the Leeds area from where he planted a lethal finish in off the far post.
Better was to follow for the raucous home support just two minutes later with Fernandes claiming his second goal of the day and the new season.
Yet again, Pogba provided the assist with his pass finding Fernandes in space in the Leeds area. The Portuguese checked himself to wrong-foot the keeper and, despite Ayling’s attempts to clear his finish off the line, the goal-line technology allowed it.
United were rampant - and nobody more than Fernandes.
On the hour, United made it three goals in eight minutes with Fernandes again unstoppable as he easily sprinted goalside of Robin Koch to chase Victor Lindelof’s long pass forward.
Fernandes allowed the ball to bounce twice before despatching a breathtaking volley past the diving Meslier.
United were not finished and three goals in eight second half minutes became four in 16 when Fred made it 5-1 after 68 minutes.
Incredibly, Pogba contributed his fourth assist of the afternoon as he exploited the growing gaps in Leeds’ defence on the left and squared for Fred who swept in the ball from 18 yards.
There was time, and occasion, for Solskjaer to throw on Jadon Sancho and the recuperating Anthony Martial as substitutes on an opening day that could not conceivably have gone any better for the United manager.
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