Wow. What a cool, calm, finish from Anthony Elanga. While more senior players wilted, it was up to a 19-year-old kid to step up.
And how he did. With just his first kick of the game, Anthony Elanga scored a superbly taken equaliser to tie United level with Atletico Madrid in front of a raucous home crowd.
Elanga latched onto a through ball from Bruno Fernandes and suddenly found himself one on one with Jan Oblak.
Many strikers would have fluffed their lines at that point, taken an extra touch, or simply overthought it.
Elanga saw Oblak rushing towards him and with a first time touch he steered the ball into the bottom corner.
It was an incredible moment for the 19-year-old, who began this season playing in the UEFA Youth League.
The best thing to happen to United this season
Elanga has been the bright spot in a frustrating season for Manchester United, encapsulated in a tough 90 minutes in Madrid.
United’s senior stars wilted under the pressure, and Elanga was absolutely fearless. He usually makes the right decisions at the right time, and this was his third goal of 2022, with all three coming away from home.
Elanga’s emergence is absolutely fantastic for United, another star stepping up from the academy. He showed promise in pre-season and is now showing he is for real.
So much has gone wrong for United in 2021/22 it is hard to unpack in a few lines. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was fired, another interim appointed, and the Mason Greenwood saga has seen him discarded.
There have been numerous leaks of dressing room unrest, and concerns several stars don’t want to be at United for much longer. It is still unknown who will be manager next season.
Forget all that for a moment, and lets just celebrate Elanga. United have a star emerging before our eyes who we can all be excited about.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
