Hannibal has been on the fringes of the Manchester United first team over the past month, and at the weekend the club decided it was time for him to get some minutes.
This meant dropping down to United’s under-23 side for an away tie on Sunday against Crystal Palace.
Hannibal helps United claim late draw
United drew the game 2-2 to remain sixth in the table above the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea, and deserve credit for fighting back to claim a point.
Palace were the better team in the first half and raced into a 2-0 lead in the first half hour of the game. Midfielder Zidane Iqbal then pulled a goal back in first half stoppage time to give United some hope.
United then rallied in the second half before scoring a late equaliser in second half injury time to complete the comeback, and that is when Hannibal stepped up.
Hannibal’s key contribution came with an inswinging corner kick which was nodded towards goal by Will Fish, blocked and then deflected back into his path, before Fish prodded in to make the score 2-2.
United have needed corner help
Prior to Harry Maguire scoring a header from a Luke Shaw corner against Leeds, United have struggled in this area.
United’s first team had an unwanted record of failing to score from a corner kick all season, despite hiring a set piece coach in the summer.
Luke Shaw, Bruno Fernandes, Alex Telles and even Juan Mata had tried to help United break this unwanted streak, to no avail – until finally breaking the streak at Elland Road.
Hannibal’s passing range is one of his top traits and in helping the under-23s score from a corner kick, he has aided his first team cause.
The Tunisia international should see some opportunities come his way as the season goes on, and with the first team continuing to struggle to score from corners, they could do worse than looking towards Hannibal.
Another player who could help the team’s cause in this regard next season is James Garner, who helped Nottingham Forest score from a corner in the FA Cup against Leicester City earlier month.
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