Key events
45 minutes: Taking the lead, the fourth best team in Cyprus come into the game so strong Manchester United squad faced the humiliation of being a goal down at half-time after completely dominating the game. How did it happen?
43 minutes: Manchester United to win a corner but Christian Eriksen’s pass is bad. The ball with the hooves is clear.
38 minutes: Lisandra Martinez almost pulls the shirt off Amonia midfielder Ian Letiaks as his team take a free-kick from the left Manchester United penalty area. It should be a spot-kick for the hosts, but referee Joao Pinheiro doesn’t call it.
35 minutes: It was incredible. Covered by two Amonia players, Tyrell Malacia lost the ball halfway in his own half and gave chase in vain as Bruno Felipe raced up with the afterburners on. He played the ball from behind to the Iranian Karim Ansariford, who almost stayed on the sideline and covered with a roof it’s past De Gea. Excellent material.
GOAL!!! Amonia Nicosia 1-0 Manchester United (Ansariford 33)
Incredible scenes! In the last 33 minutes, “Amonia” was completely under the support, and as a result of a lightning counterattack, they took the lead.
31 minutes: Ammonia wins the corner. They play short, but the straight-from-the-training-ground routine clearly hasn’t spent enough time on the training ground. Wide.
30 minutes: Christian Eriksen tried to pick up Ronaldo with a cross at the far post. Amonia goalkeeper Fabiano rushes off his line to pluck the ball out of the air.
29 minutes: From the edge of the “Amonia” penalty area, Dalot plays the ball behind Ronaldo. He puts it across the edge of the six-yard box but there’s no one there to poke it home. Cue a minor fit of irritation and hand-waving from his lordship.
27 minutes: Another great save from Amonia goalkeeper Fabiano, who rushed to his right to palm Antoni’s curling shot into the top right corner. Nothing comes from the corner.
25 minutes: Nemanja Miletic rakes Cristiano Ronaldo’s armpit with pins and Manchester United take a free kick about 25 yards from the Amonia goal, just left of center. Ronaldo is on top of the ball, and given his terrible free-kick record, you almost certainly don’t need me to tell you that he’s sending the ball high and wide of the Amonia goal.
24 minutes: Weathered early Manchester United storm that lasted through the first quarter of the match, Amonia finally got the ball out of their own half for what appears to be the first time since the match began.
21 minutes: Tyrell Malacia crosses from the left into the Amonia box, but it’s too high for Ronaldo, who isn’t happy with the delivery.
18 minutes: Another United attack. They break through the home defense and Ronaldo plays a pass to Fernandez, who flicks it over the keeper and watches in horror as it crashes onto the crossbar.
16 minutes: Antony finds himself alone with Fabian, who gives himself away. Instead of shooting, Anthony prefers to pass to Fernandez. It’s wayward and goes behind the Portuguese midfielder, who can barely contain his frustration.
15 minutes: Ronaldo combines with Jadon Sancho in the Amonia box and kicks straight at Fabiano who blocks with his feet.
13 minutes: In the eighth minute, I did not give credit to the goalkeeper of “Amonia” Fabian. After seeing the replay, Ronaldo didn’t direct the ball straight at him, in fact it was a superb save. I’m sorry, Fabiana.
12 minutes: United pass the ball around the edge of the Amonia box with two lines of four defenders in front of them.
10 minutes: Amonia goalkeeper Fabiano runs out of his area to shoot the ball into the stands before Ronaldo can beat him. United are completely in the lead, as you would expect.
8 minutes: Anthony passes to Cristiano Ronaldo, who is in pursuit of his 700th club goal. It doesn’t happen here as he fires straight at Amonia goalkeeper Fabiano from a decent position on the left. Saved.
7 minutes: Tyrell Malacia tackles Bruno Fernandes on the edge of the Amonia box, but his shot is blocked. United are dominating possession and their hosts are falling hard with a lot of men behind the ball.
5 minutes: There’s not much to report when Wales international Adam Matthews clears the rebound for Amonia from the edge of his box.
3 minutes: United win an early corner, which is conceded by Nemanja Miletic under pressure from Bruno Fernandes. Christian Eriksen crosses the ball into the box and Amonia scores.
Amonia Nicosia vs Manchester United is going…
1 minute: After a moment of silence for the victims of the disaster at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java last weekend, which was not particularly well preserved, the hosts take the ball from the spot.
Not so long ago: The teams are out and standing either side of João Pinheiro and his team of match referees. Ammonia wear green and white stripes, white shorts and white socks, colors their manager Neil Lennon is very familiar with. Visitors from Manchester United wear red shirts, black shorts and black socks. Start – in just a minute.
what Manchester United team: There are three changes to the squad that led to such devastating effect against Manchester City on Sunday. As expected, Victor Lindelof makes a rare start in place of the injured Raphael Varane, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Casemiro are selected ahead of Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay, who are on the bench.
Line-ups of matches “Amonia Nicosia” – “Manchester United”.
Ammonia Nicosia: Fabiano, Mathews, Miletic, Juste, Lang, Letjax, Diskerud, Charalambous, Barker, Bruno, Ansariford.
Subscriptions: Kantamis, Loizou, Populis, Kitsos, Zakharov, Uzoha, Panayiotou, Kakulis, Bezus.
Manchester United: De Gea, Dalot, Lindelof, Martinez, Malacia, Casemiro, Eriksen, Anthony, Bruno Fernandes, Sancho, Ronaldo.
Subscriptions: Martial, Rashford, Fred, Heaton, Shaw, Pellistri, Dubravka, Elango, McTominay, Garnacho, Iqbal.
Officials of today’s match
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Judge: Juan Piñeiro
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Assistant referees: Bruno Jesus and Luciano Maia
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Fourth judge: Antonio Nobre
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Referee video assistant: Luis Godinho
Early team news
Having stated that he did not want to introduce Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United’s 6-3 defeat at the hands of Manchester City from the bench last weekend “out of respect for his career”, it will be interesting to know whether Erik Ten Haag believes tonight’s match will below the Portuguese striker. That seems unlikely as Ronaldo started both of United’s previous group games against Sociedad and Sheriff.
With Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane both sidelined, United have a void in the center of defense alongside Lisandro Martinez, which Victor Lindelof is likely to fill. Donnie van de Beek and Aaron Van-Bissaka, who may have been expected to play if fit, also remain out through injury. Martin Dubravka, on loan from Newcastle in the summer, has recovered from a muscle injury sustained while playing for Slovakia and could feature for Manchester United tonight.
Amonia midfielder Maretto Kassamo, who has Ligue 1 experience with Reims, remains a major doubt but former Reading and Rangers winger Brendan Barker could feature for the hosts. Former Celtic striker Gary Hooper, 34, joined Amonia on a free transfer last month after six months without the club after leaving Wellington Phoenix, but is yet to make his debut as he is not fit enough. Former Cardiff, Celtic, Sunderland, Charlton and Wales national team defender Adam Matthews also plays in the Cypriot club.
Group E: Amonia Nicosia – Manchester United
With one win and one loss in two Europa League games this season, Manchester United are in Cyprus ahead of this evening’s match against Amonia Nicosia, who sit bottom of the group without a point after defeats to FC Sheriff and Real Sociedad.
The 23,000 capacity GSP Stadium in Strovalos, Nicosia is the venue for tonight’s encounter where the home side, led by the occasionally combustible side Neil Lennon, massive underdogs despite their home advantage. Kick-off in Cyprus is at 17:45 (BST), but in the meantime stay tuned for team news and information.
