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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
George Smith

Harry Maguire sends message to Manchester United team-mates following Leeds win

Captain Harry Maguire heaped praise on his team-mates' togetherness and spirit after Manchester United's enthralling 4-2 win over Leeds United at Elland Road on Sunday afternoon.

Maguire headed United in front, connecting with Luke Shaw's 34th-minute corner, before Bruno Fernandes doubled the Reds' advantage right on the stroke of half-time, ensuring they held a commanding lead at half-time.

However, United, just as they did against both Burnley and Southampton, collapsed within minutes of the restart, conceding twice in the space of just 24 seconds from goals from Rodrigo and Raphinha, meaning the Reds faced an uphill struggle.

Nevertheless, inspired by the introductions of Fred and Anthony Elanga, who both scored, from the substitutes bench, United turned the game back in their favour, doing enough to secure a deserved win to complete a famous double over Marcelo Bielsa's side.

With their character and mentality having been heavily questioned of late, Maguire hailed his team-mates' efforts for sticking together and digging in deep to secure all three points.

"I think that’s the most pleasing aspect of the game," Maguire told MUTV, addressing United's reaction to being pegged back. "Their first goal is really lucky and it gets them right back in the game.

"Then they scored a good goal and we have to fight back and we had to stick together.

"I'm really proud of the lads and pleased with the way we stuck together, regrouped.

"We knew we had the qualities to hurt them and we had to calm that storm, get together and we knew we had 30 minutes to win the game and we've done that."

The rain fell heavily at Elland Road, both before and during the game, meaning it made conditions increasingly difficult for both sets of players as the game developed, especially in the second half.

Maguire continued: "The conditions in the second half was really bad, to be honest.

"The half that we were playing in and defending was really waterlogged so we came out at the start of the second half and played as if we normally would in the first half, dribbling, trying to win those one-on-one battles.

"We knew we got caught on it too much especially in the first five minutes of the first half so we had to get used to the conditions.

"But yes it was old school, so many tackles. I'm sure it was good to watch a game like that but thankfully we came out on top."

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