Raphael Varane, a Manchester United defender, scored after 76 minutes in his team’s Premier League match against Wolves at Old Trafford.
United struggled for much of the first hour, with manager Erik ten Hag visibly unhappy on the sidelines.
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They nearly fell down early in the second half as Matheus Cunha’s close-range shot hit the post, before Matheus Nunes forced a save from United goalkeeper Andre Onana, who is making his competitive debut.
But the hosts ultimately broke through as Varane drove his header past Jose Sa following superb work from Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
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The goal is shown below.
Bruno Fernandes, who is captaining United for the first time in an official capacity after taking over for Harry Maguire, had previously played an important role in the build-up to the goal.
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The Portuguese star’s lofted pass forward allowed Wan-Bissaka to loop the ball over to Varane.
The Frenchman’s finish sent Old Trafford into raptures, with more than three-quarters of the stadium exhaling a sigh of relief as United finally got off to a winning start this season.
Despite the lack of a top-tier performance, Ten Hag’s side has put themselves in position to improve on last season’s opening day defeat at Old Trafford, when they lost 2-1 to Graham Potter’s Brighton.
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Before the game, United legend Gary Neville said it would be ‘harsh’ to consider his former club as title contenders this season, telling Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football: “Realistically, looking at where Arsenal are, and how they have recruited this summer, and looking at how established Manchester City are, I think it would be unrealistic and harsh to say that Manchester United should be competing for the title.”