Nemanja Matic has highlighted where Manchester United need to improve despite scoring late goal to rescue a draw against Atletico Madrid in the Champion League last-16 first leg.
05.02.2022 - 03:19 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Former club captain Roy Keane put Manchester United's shock FA Cup fourth-round exit at the hands of Middlesbrough at Old Trafford on Friday evening down to wasteful finishing.
United bowed out of the competition at the fourth-round stage for the first time since 2012 after losing 8-7 on penalties at the end of a long-winded penalty shootout, which saw Anthony Elanga miss the one and only spot-kick.
The contest had ended 1-1 at the end of 120 minutes, following Matt Crooks' controversial equaliser for Middlesbrough to cancel out Jadon Sancho's first-half effort, meaning spot-kicks determined the outcome of the tie.
Middlesbrough successfully dispatched all eight of their penalties, but United failed to convert their eighth and final spot-kick, with Elanga blazing his effort over the bar.
United, though, had more than enough chances to win the contest in normal time and were guilty of squandering a lorry load of opportunities, especially in the first half, including a penalty miss from Cristiano Ronaldo.
With that in mind, Keane has pointed the finger at United's lack of a cutting edge in front of goal for bringing an end to their hopes of winning the FA Cup for the first time since 2016.
"One of his [Ralf Rangnick's] concerns will be over the last few home games they've only scored one goal and obviously just one tonight," Keane told ITV Sport.
"I was talking about Man United finding a way to win the game, but what they did was they found a way to lose the game and that's not a good sign."
Having performed so well in recent weeks and become a regular starter in the Premier League, Elanga started on the bench and was not called upon by Rangnick until the 82nd minute, replacing Marcus Rashford.
Had United taken the
Nemanja Matic has highlighted where Manchester United need to improve despite scoring late goal to rescue a draw against Atletico Madrid in the Champion League last-16 first leg.
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