Ralf Rangnick and Thomas Tuchel drew 1-1 at Old Trafford, and Chelsea were the better team. Man United, on the other hand, could once again rely on Cristiano Ronaldo.
With two games to go and five points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, Manchester United’s Champions League prospects are not looking good, but the Red Devils showed against Chelsea that they are not done with the season yet.
United showed a serious attitude, were well-positioned and initially tried to make an attacking impact of their own. But these were few and far between, as the decisive pass was not received in the final third. Cristiano Ronaldo’s unsuccessful overhead kick after 13 minutes was the only excitement on the side of the record champions for a long time.
Chelsea, with Rüdiger, Werner and Havertz in the starting eleven, had more possession and created a few chances (James, 5th, Kanté, 19th) – but the quality of the finishes was not particularly good. Unsurprisingly, the game went on for a long time.
All in all, United played too wait-and-see, the Red Devils visibly lacked the willingness to take risks, which ultimately led to large parts of the game taking place in the hosts’ half – but nothing more. Chelsea were committed, but did not develop any penetrating power. Because Havertz also missed two good opportunities (28./36.), the game went to the break goalless.
CR7 answers right back
Not much changed after the break: Chelsea were better and pushed forward, but often struggled against a Manchester side that allowed little defensively – with one exception: Alex Telles had visible problems with James, who was allowed to cross quite often. This was also the case after an hour, when James brought the ball inside, Havertz extended it with his head to Marcos Alonso and he marked the deserved lead for the Blues with a powerful shot into the right corner.
The Red Devils’ answer was not long in coming – and it was none other than Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese had been subdued for much of the game, but now took an excellent Matic assist strongly and scored dry to make it 1-1 (62nd).
Back to the old rut
The equaliser was again no wake-up call, only there to set the hands back to zero. After the 1:1, ManUnited returned to their previously practised destructive style of play, while Chelsea ran tirelessly but lacked the final punch. The substitutions of Lukaku and Pulisic with 20 minutes to go did nothing to change that.
When the striking James was unlucky with a goal against the post (80th), it was clear that Chelsea would not get the away win they had hoped for. The Londoners, who consolidated their third-place position with a 1-1 draw, will now be looking for a win at Everton FC (3pm) in Liverpool on Sunday, while United continue their campaign the following day at home to Brentford.
Then it’s no longer about the top flight for the record champions, but rather about securing a Europa League place, after all West Ham are within sight. The seventh-placed team is three points behind United, but also has played one game less and has the better goal difference.
