Manchester United vs. Leicester City result: No Ronaldo, no victory as Red Devils slip in top four chase

Will Savage

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Manchester United vs. Leicester City result: No Ronaldo, no victory as Red Devils slip in top four chase image

Manchester United's bid for a top-four finish suffered the latest blow after a 1-1 home draw against Leicester City, and it was the visitors who will feel aggrieved they didn't come away with all three points.

The Red Devils now find themselves in sixth place, only three points from the sought-after fourth spot, but with two more games played than its chief competitor Arsenal. Only eight matches remain in Manchester United's quest to guarantee Champions League football next season and the revenues that come with it.

Leicester City continue their recent positive run (3W-1L-1D in their last five) and move up to ninth in the table with a UEFA Conference League quarterfinal against PSV Eindhoven on tap for this week.

Missing Cristiano Ronaldo (flu-like symptoms) and Uruguay forward Edinson Cavani (calf), Man United lined up without a natural center forward as Bruno Fernandes filled in. The club missed that central outlet when they had the ball. When United looked threatening, it came down their left flank, but an injury to left back Luke Shaw towards the end of the half put paid to that, with Alex Telles offering very little attacking threat for the rest of the game.

After a quiet first half, the game opened up after the break and it was the away side that took the lead in the 63rd minute. James Maddison received the ball on the left and he was allowed the time to curl the ball into the area. Kelechi Iheanacho met it from deep with a diving header back across goal that David De Gea couldn't keep out.

The lead didn't last long as United responded three minutes later. Their high press forced a poor clearance from Leicester 'keeper Kasper Schmeichel. Man United midfielder Fred gathered the ball, and when Fernandes's shot was spilled by Schmeichel, Fred was there to fire home after continuing his run into the area.

Leicester thought they had regained the lead and a potential winner when Maddison scored, only for referee Andre Marriner to disallow the goal after video review in the 81st minute. It was ruled that Iheanacho committed a foul in his tussle with Man United defender Raphael Varane in the buildup to the goal.

Although United pushed hard to end the match, displaying a sense of urgency which was lacking for much of the game, they still struggled to create anything other than half chances and shots from distance. They will attempt to make up for the dropped home points in their next match at Everton on April 9, while Leicester City host Crystal Palace on April 10, three days after a Conference League quarterfinal first leg.

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Man United vs. Leicester final score

  1H 2H Final
Man United  0 1 1
Leicester  0 1 1

Goals:
MUN — Fred — 66th min.
LEI — Kelechi Iheanacho (James Maddison) — 63rd min.

Final: Man United 1, Leicester City 1

Fulltime: All the action came in the last half hour at Old Trafford, with the spoils shared.

96th min: United have the ball in Leicester's third but they struggle to make anything stick. Leicester look like they might counter in numbers with Justin on the right but he passed inside on the halfway line. He has three to pass to, and doesn't find any of them. United finally make something stick. Rashford bursts through a handful of Leicester players and has a chance to shoot from the right. It would be a good chance, but Elanga, who was standing offside, takes the shot on himself. He's offside, and it's a Leicester free kick. Leicester fail to make another counter work and Elanga looks set to slide the ball across for Rashford to tap in at the far post, but Amartey cuts it out.

93th min: Dalot swings in a cross from the right. Amartey slips, Rashford watches it pass him by, and Sancho snatches at it, firing wide. That didn't look great for anyone involved.

92nd min: Mendy is off for Choudhury, and Iheanacho is off for Daka.

90th min: Nampalys Mendy is down now. He's forced to get back to his feet as United try and play on, but he goes back down when the ball heads out of play. It looks like it might be cramp. Five minutes added on here.

88th min: United manage to get their foot on the ball, and work it from side to side in Leicester's third. The get a corner and it's a bit messy, but Leicester manage to clear. Iheanacho does well, holding the ball up with three United players in proximity, and evading the challenge of a fourth to find a teammate, but United come again, and they've improved in the final few minutes.

86th min: Momentum has swung back and forth since the disallowed goal, with no more clear cut chances. United look to counter but Fred fires the ball at Andre Marriner, who receives loud boos from the home team

80th min: Disallowed goal!

Maddison fires home at the near post. The ball is fired into Iheanacho on the edge of the area. He holds off Varane, it's a little messy as Iheanacho's foot gets locked in with Varane's leg, and VAR has a look at it. Iheanacho got clear of the defender and played in Maddison on his right, who smashed the ball in low at De Gea's near post. Maddison celebrates but, after a VAR check, Ander Marriner is called over to the monitor to a look himself. It doesn't take him long to overturn his decision and award the home side a free kick.

79th min: The game is a little more end to end now. Leicester look the team more comfortable keeping the ball, and United look the team trying to score in transition. It almost feels like Leicester are at home and United are the visitors. United have a couple of chances to make something happen, but Fernandes and then Elanga don't find the final pass.

75th min: Nemanja Matic looks set to come on for United, they've lost control since scoring the equaliser. Pogba comes off.

71st min: Sancho passed back towards his own goal. He inadvertently slips in Iheanacho in the right half space, the forward latching onto the loose pass. De Gea is out and Iheanacho, from close to goal and a very tight angle, tries to lift the ball over the 'keeper. It's a strange choice of finish and never looked like ending in a goal. Leicester follow that up with a free kick into the area. Fofana rises well and heads the ball towards the corner, but De Gea impressively manages to get a hand to it and palm the ball away.

66th min: GOAL!

A good response from United. They press high and Schmeichel is forced into a high clearance into midfield which Varane knocks forwards. Fred gets on the end of the loose ball and, on the edge of the area, passed centrally to Fernandes. Fernandes fires low, to the 'keeper's right. Schmeichel gets something on it, but he can't push it far from goal and Fred, following in, fires high into the roof of the net to equalise.

63rd min: GOAL!

Iheanacho heads home! The Leicester corner is headed clear and United look to be on the counter. Dewsbury-Hall wins it back and finds Maddison on the left. Pogba thinks he's going to cut onto his right, but he swings the cross in on his left. Iheanacho comes in on the far side of the area and his diving header is back across goal. De Gea gets something on it, but it's too weak, and it nestles in the back of the net. Meanwhile, Amartey is on for Evans.

62nd min:Jonny Evans, who was a doubt for this game, looks to be in a little discomfort. Leicester have had a good deal of the ball in the last few minutes, and Harvey Barnes has been involved in the last three attacks, this time running at Dalot as he drives into the area and nutmegging the right back, forcing Maguire to clear on the cover.

58th min: Pogba sends a long ball down the right, which Rashford gets on the end of, and wins a corner. United haven't manager to turn Leicester's defence with runs in behind that much in this game, and they could do with more of those runs.

56th min: Dalot gets to the byline, getting past Barnes with a couple of stepovers, before clipping a ball into the area which Bruno meets with his head, although he can't convert. Dalot is involved again, another cross landing in the middle of everyone in the area, but nobody can get the shot in and, by the time they do, a Leicester body is in the way. Dalot then cuts inside and fires a shot over, although he wants the corner. Rashford is on for McTominay, with Pogba playing deeper.

51st min: McTominay is booked for a challenge on Maddison. His foot is high and he sends the Leicester man spinning into the air. He's still down and looks to be in some pain. The reaction of the Leicester players suggests they think the card should be red. VAR doesn't overturn it, but McTominay is a little lucky.

47th min: Telles has come on for Shaw, it'll be interesting to see how much he can replicate the threat that the Englishman offered. United's first chance of the half comes from a switch out to Sancho on the left, he clips a ball towards the near post and it's just ouf ot reach of the United attacker, into the hands of Schmeichel. Leicester do really well to keep the ball in United's area but, despite the intricate play, they've failed to convert those spells of possession so far in the game.

Halftime: Manchester United 0, Leicester City 0

Halftime: Neither of these teams are at their best, and it shows.

47th min: Varane does very well to evade pressure as he recieves the ball, and drives forwards with it. As he approached midfield, he drove the ball out to Pogba on the right hand side. The pass was behind him, and went out for a throw. That passage of play more or less sums up United's game so far.

44th min: Leicester have a promising counter when they win the ball in midfield, with Fred up the pitch. Iheanacho holds onto the ball on the edge of the area before feeding it into the path of Barnes on the left. He looks to find Dewsbury-Hall in the area, but United had bodies back and Varane cut it out.

41st min: Telles, who was stripped off and ready to go, has his training top back, and it looks like Shaw will see out the half at least. A strong slide tackle from Bruno Fernandes by his own corner flag sees the free kick come to nothing.

39th min: Dewsbury-Hall does well to carry the ball down the left, but without a pass on he passes back to Mendy in the middle. Pogba slides in but it's a clumsy tackle, and Leicester have a free kick in midfield. Off the ball, Luke Shaw has gone down. He's been good today, with a lot of United's best work coming down their left. He's receiving treatment, and Telles looks like he's about to come on.

35th min: Leciester find it easy to work the ball forward. Maddison recieves deep on the right and isn't closed by Fred. The Leicester man lifts the ball into the area and Barnes gets something on it as he gets across his man, but it's wide of the post.

31st min: Good work from Maddison, Dewsbury-Hall, Tielemans, and Justin sees Leicester find Iheanacho on the edge of the area, with time. He opens up on his left but loops the ball way off target.

30th min: Tielemans is booked a challenge on Bruno Fernandes, who stayed down for a moment before getting back to his feet. Tielemans' foot was raised, but there didn't look to be that much contact.

28th min: The best chance of the game so far falls to Fernandes. Fofana gives it away to Fred and is caught out of position, as Fernandes finds himself clean through on goal. He shoots from the edge of the area, but it's too central and Schmeichel saves with his foot. The ball is cleared up the other end and Barnes' shoulder barge sees Dalot lose the foot race, but Varane is in place to snuff out the danger.

26th min: Neither team is really showing a great deal, with both sides lacking outlets. Neither midfield has managed to wrestle control of the game, with Pogba and Fernandes looking to be on different wavelengths so far. When United have done well, it's generally been with switches to the left hand side, which is likely why Maguire is being played as the right sided centre back.

22nd min: Shaw lifts the ball into the area, deep from the left, and it finds Pogba just past the penalty spot. He nods the ball towards the centre of the goal but, from that far out, he was never going to get enough power to trouble the 'keeper, who holds comfortably.

20th min: After an even first ten minutes, United have seen more of the ball, and created more threat. Leicester are struggling a little to play out as United begin to press higher.

17th min: Elanga and Sancho have swapped sides. The ball finds the former on the left hand side, and he drives forwards. He jinks past Justin, and then past Fofana, who brings him down. Fernandes lifts the free kick towards the right, just over the head of Harry Maguire.

14th min: Elanga teases a delightful ball to the far post after a cleared corner finds him on the right, edge of the area. Castagne heads it clear after Schmeichel is rooted to his line.

13th min: Both teams are finding it fairly easy to play through the other's midfield at the moment. Harvey Barnes has had a couple of shots from outside the area in quick succession, but neither looked likely to trouble De Gea's goal.

8th min: Fernandes and Pogba have floated around with some freedom, and Leicester haven't tracked them too well. There's a loud cheer as Maguire slides in to dispossess a Leicester man. A couple of times he's won the ball on the right and looked to switch the ball to Sancho on the left, with neither pass coming off so far.

6th min: Luke Shaw picks up the first booking of the game after a late challenge on Justin. Nothing comes from Maddison's free kick.

5th min: Barnes has had the first shot of the game, flicking a Maddison free kick from the left over the bar. Leicester are looking to pass the ball around when they have it.

2nd min: Leicester get things underway with a number of high balls, but United see them clear. Curiously, it looks like Maguire will be the right sided of the two centre backs.

1 min to kickoff: It feels like a significant game for both sides, as the last fans filter in to Old Trafford ahead of kick off. The teams are out on the pitch.

19 mins to kickoff: A little more here from United on the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been suffering from illness.

21 mins to kickoff: It looks like a back four for Leicester, with Evans and Fofana making up the central defensive pair.

25 mins to kickoff: United may be lining up with Bruno as the central attacker today, as Cristiano and Cavani both miss out. Rashford only makes the bench.

90 mins to kickoff: Old Trafford looks ready for the day's big game, and so are we.

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Man United vs. Leicester lineups

United have no recognized center forward, with Bruno Fernandes likely to fill the central attacking space. Dalot gets the nod ahead of Wan-Bissaka at right back.

Manchester United starting lineup (4-3-3): De Gea (GK) — Shaw, Maguire, Varane, Dalot — Fred, McTominay, Pogba — Sancho, Fernandes, Elanga

Manchester United subs (9): Henderson (GK), Telles, Jones, Lindelof, Wan-Bissaka, Mata, Matic, Lingard, Rashford

Knee injuries keep Wilfred Ndidi, Jamie Vardy, Danny Ward, and Ryan Bertrand out, while Luke Thomas doesn't return in time. Jonny Evans and Wesley Fofana both return to form the defensive pairing, while Marc Albrighton makes the bench.

Leicester starting lineup (4-3-3): Schmeichel (GK) — Castagne, Evans, Fofana, Justin — Tielemans, Mendy, Dewsbury-Hall— Barnes, Iheanacho, Maddison

Leicester subs (9): Jakupović (GK), Ricardo, Amartey, Söyüncü, Choudhury, Albrighton, Lookman, Pérez, Daka

Will Savage