- It's nice that the club gives them the chance. I'm happy for their sake. They are young and want to prove that they deserve to wear the sweater. They are the club's future, ”says Nemanja Matic to BT Sport.

Then there was 20 minutes to play and both players and audiences in Manchester could breathe. A few minutes later, Jesse Lingard's newly replaced shot inside the left post shot through the goalkeeper's fingertips. Astana stood up well for a long time but started to kneel in the final part of the match.

There were only two home players left from the weekend's 1-0 win against Leicester in the Premier League when the starting elves were announced: Nemanja Matic and Marcus Rashford.

Three teenagers in the starting elf

In addition to 17-year-old Greenwood, who has had some playing time in the Premier League, Tahith Chong, 19, and Angel Gomes, 19, were also in the starting eleven for the first time.

Match winner Greenwood was the center of attention afterwards and thanked both teammates and opponents. Trainer Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wrote a quick autograph and then quickly stepped off to the dressing room. He was not out on the pitch, as he usually does, afterwards.

Victor Nilsson Lindelöf, who renewed his contract with the club until 2024, as late as yesterday (where he earns SEK 1.7 million a week) was on site at Old Trafford where he had dinner and saw the match from the stand.