USMNT forward Jordan Pefok took advantage of a stoppage-time Manchester United giveaway and pushed Young Boys to a historic and dramatic 2-1 win over their 10-man visitors from the Premier League on Tuesday as both teams kicked off their Champions League campaigns in Bern, Switzerland.
United’s 10-men couldn’t make an early Cristiano Ronaldo goal hold up, as Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s 35th-minute red card turned the game into one-sided possession for David Wagner’s hosts.
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Ronaldo scored in the 13th-minute — his first UCL goal for Man United since 2009 — off a terrific feed from Bruno Fernandes, but Wan-Bissaka’s lunging cleat to the ankle of Christopher Martins Pereira gave David Wagner’s Young Boys hope of a point or better at home.
Nicolas Ngamaleu gave the Swiss side just that in the 66th minute, and Pefok (formerly called Jordan Siebatcheu) was effective in hold-up play and as a target man during a second-half sub run for the hosts.
He became even more effective when he read substitute Jesse Lingard’s back pass toward De Gea, cutting the ball around the keeper for a massive win.
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Three things we learned from Young Boys vs Manchester United
1. Patient Pefok rewarded: The American center forward was called upon at halftime and looked strong despite the presence of Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire in the heart of United’s defense. YB had trouble getting him the ball and he looked set to be finished with 8-of-9 passes completed, 1-for-1 dribbles, and a key pass before Lingard set him 1v1 with De Gea. It will be interesting to see him, hopefully starting, at Old Trafford.
2. Wan-Bissaka’s wild first touch leads to sending off: Working a 1-2 in the Young Boys half, Wan-Bissaka took the end product but a little too strong. YB’s Martins Pereira was set to reap the benefits but instead got a lunging Wan-Bissaka boot to the ankle, a foul that looked even worse because the Manchester United back’s followthrough meant he trod directly on said ankle. A red card was produced, unfortunate but understandable, and United was down to 10 men in the 35th minute.
3. Ronaldo wisdom opens the scoring: “CR7” again showed his savvy in opening the scoring. Yes, it was a fantastic entry pass from Bruno Fernandes, but it’s been Ronaldo’s on-field work ethic and ambition that have found him in position to score three goals in two matches back with United.
Man of the Match: Nicolas Ngamaleu
So tidy even in tight spaces! The 27-year-old pips Pefok and maybe Harry Maguire to our MOTM honors.
Young Boys vs Manchester United recap
Cristiano Ronaldo delivered the opener within the match’s first quarter-hour, racing to reach an inventive pass from Bruno Fernandes and getting enough on his shot that 90 percent of a save wasn’t enough for YB goalkeeper David von Ballmoos.
The game turned on its ear when Aaron Wan-Bissaka lunged after a sloppy first touch in the Young Boys final third and planted his foot on the ankle of Martins Pereira. He was shown a straight red card and United would be down a man for 55 minutes.
Ronaldo went on a long foray toward goal and hit the turf inside the 18 hoping for a penalty that did not arrive at his well-versed feet, and that was perhaps the duration of United’s threat while down to 10.
Young Boys controlled the second half but only found one goal and it was well-earned as Meschack Elia’s ball into the box zipped through Luke Shaw’s legs and was poked past David De Gea by Ngamaleu.
It looked all set to be 1-1, but substitute Lingard did not see Pefok through a sea of bodies and the USMNT striker darted onto the back pass and beat De Gea for a historic win.
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Young Boys vs Manchester United final score: Undone by an American originally appeared on NBCSports.com