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Manchester United convincingly beat Sabah 4-0 in their return to the Champions League last night at Old Trafford.
Impressive resultThe match started a little slowly for the Red Devils, but they found a way past a stubborn defence before the 30th minute mark when Matheus Cunha poked in a nice team move.
Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko added the next two goals to consolidate the result before halftime.
Lisandro Martinez put the icing on the cake in front of the Stratford End in the second half.
Owen Hargreaves’ thoughtsOne player who really stood out in the centre of the park was Kobbie Mainoo.
The England midfielder made headlines by not playing a single minute of the World Cup for England but has returned in perfect style for his club side.
His boss Michael Carrick was also quick to heap praise on the young midfielder and the former United man, turned pundit, Owen Hargreaves was also throughly impressed.
Speaking to TNT Sports he said, “I have never seen him play badly. Every time I watch him play football I think: ‘How can somebody not play him?’ I think he’s a fabulous player.”
Hargreaves continued his praise by asserting, “he’s an academy player and didn’t cost the club anything. When you think about the fees some players are going for, they signed [Andrey] Santos and Tielemans for £85m combined, [Carlos] Baleba was probably £70m. What would Kobbie be worth? More than all of them.”
The former England international added that he loves Maine’s game and feels he can do it all in the middle of the park.
The pundit continued, “you can just pass him the ball anywhere at any time. Technically, just so gifted, glides with the ball. That’s what a Man Utd midfielder needs to do at all times.”
Finally, Hargreaves asserted, “he’s a star. I think he’s going to be a superstar. He’s only 21 years old, and he plays like he’s 30. That’s how he plays football in the most stressful environment – just chilled.”
Kobbie Mainoo: Stats vs Sabah