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In the second half, as pressure mounted, it was the back four that stepped to the fore. Axel Tuanzebe barely put a foot wrong after coming on as a substitute in the unfamiliar left-back role, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka delivered his usual set of perfectly timed tackles.
But it was Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire who really stood up to be counted. As he did last season, the skipper made vital headed clearances and dealt well with the physical and aerial threat posed by Calvert-Lewin, who has started the season as a handful for all but the very best defenders.
Lindelof missed the game in midweek, and has been ailed by a back problem, but he stepped back into the starting XI alongside his long-term partner, Maguire, and added a composure and calm that was much missed during the defeat to Istanbul Basaksehir.
When United play well, it’s always the forwards who flourish, and understandably. They do the damage at the business end of the field, where it’s hardest to prosper. And in Bruno, Rashford, Martial et al, few have more firepower available than Solskjaer.
But all teams need balance to win, and the Reds had it in abundance on Saturday thanks to some of their most unsung heroes.
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