Bruno Fernandes delighted with what ‘fleet-of-foot’ Man Utd teammate did against Leeds
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes congratulated Carlos Baleba on the crucial move he pulled off against Leeds United.
The Red Devils headed to the interval with a one-goal lead thanks to Bryan Mbeumo’s solitary first-half goal.
The Cameroonian winger finished off a swift play with a clinical touch. Youri Tielemans provided the assist with a delicate square ball to the face of goal.
But while he wasn’t directly involved in the goal, Baleba’s exploits didn’t go unnoticed.
Bruno Fernandes impressed with Carlos Baleba
Last weekend, Baleba earned plaudits after making his Man Utd debut off the bench in the 1-1 draw against Tottenham.
The 22-year-old then made his full debut on Tuesday in the Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid.
On Sunday, Baleba made his first start for United in a Premier League game. Michael Carrick chose him alongside Andrey Santos for the double pivot roles in the absence of the injured Kobbie Mainoo, while Tielemans was pushed to a more advanced role on the pitch.
The former Brighton star once again showed how important he can be for this Man Utd side, showcasing his ability to win back possession and switch the ball forward.
On occasion in the first half, Baleba pulled off a timely intervention to put a Leeds attack to a halt, sparring his teammates the blushes.
The Sun journalist Samuel Luckhurst reveals how Fernandes immediately headed towards his young teammate to acknowledge his efforts.
“A high-five from Fernandes for Baleba. Did well to defuse that sequence after a couple of teammates were caught on their heels,” posted the Man Utd correspondent on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
“Shown since his first touches for #mufc how fleet of foot he is for a defensive midfielder.”
Is Baleba the key to Man Utd’s revival?
The introduction of Baleba has instantly improved the team on all levels, as he’s been able to add physicality, technique and defensive prowess to the middle of the park.
That being said, Man Utd’s issues run much deeper, and a single player is incapable of lifting the entire team on his shoulders.
For instance, their poor set-piece defending has been exposed yet again, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring the equaliser for Leeds after the break.
