Manchester United vs Southampton LIVE!
Three late goals from Amad Diallo dragged a below-par Manchester United to a 3-1 comeback victory over Southampton in the Premier League on Thursday.
United will have fancied their chances of getting back to winning ways against bottom of the table Southampton, but the hosts were second best from the off, deservedly falling behind to a Manuel Ugarte own goal just before halftime.
Staring down the barrel of another home defeat, United upped the ante after the break, getting back on level terms through Diallo eight minutes from time, before the Ivorian completed the turnaround in the 90th minute.
A stoppage-time third to complete his hat-trick certainly flattered United, who climbed to 12th in the standings amid another disappointing season, while Southampton remain bottom with six points. Read the game backbelow with our dedicated match blog.
Amad on 'one of the best weeks of my life'
22:14 , Alex YoungAmad Diallo speaking to TNT Sports: "In football you have to believe. We believed until the end and are very happy to win this game. We drew with Arsenal and Liverpool so the confidence was there. We are very happy.
"Maybe one of the best weeks in my life. I am very happy for this win. This team deserved to win this game so I am very happy."
Full-time
21:57 , Alex Young96min: What a finale. Amad grabs the match ball, he’ll want to keep that.
95min: What a turnaround. Incredible.
GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!
21:53 , Alex Young94min: Amad nicks the ball off Harwood-Bellis and rolls the back into the back of the net for his hat-trick!
Awful mistake, but Amad forced it! What a night for the youngster.
92min: Southampton cannot believe they are going to leave Old Trafford empty-handed.
GOALLLLLLLLLLL!
21:49 , Alex Young90min: Oh my word! Amad in the final minute!
Eriksen dinks the ball over the top and Amad runs onto the ball and beats Ramsdale inside his near post!
86min: Antony has done more bad than good since coming on.
83min: Eriksen and Maguire are on, Mazraoui and Yoro are on.
GOAL!
21:40 , Alex Young82min: Amad drills it home on the angle!
What a finish, inside the near post, after the ball bounces off Walker-Peters.
79min: Bruno Fernandes tries to dink a shot over Ramsdale, who makes himself big, but there is no United player to follow up!
Southampton just clear the ball.
78min: Zirkzee runs at the defence and doesn’t get the ‘man on’ call so is easily tackled from behind in the Southampton area.
It’s just so basic.
72min: I’m starting to feel sorry for Yoro. Sulemana has his number again and again and again.
68min: United are pushing here, but Southampton dealing with everything thrown at them at the moment.
64min: We restart with Zirkzee driving at the defence, waits too long and eventually gets tackled.
62min: Break of play as Dibling is getting treatment.
59min: How has Antony missed?!
Garnacho puts it on a plate, Antony just had to tap it in at the back post... but slides in and pushes it into Ramsdale’s hands.
He then gets up, smiles and shakes his head.
58min: Oh, Sulemana has to score!
United living dangerously as the forward skins Yoro for the 400th time in the game, beats Onana but his shot trickles the wrong side of the post.
56min: Garnacho still doesn’t have his eye in has he floats a cross towards Amad but beyond the back post.
54min: Two more changes for United as Collyer and Zirkzee are on for Ugarte and Hojlund.
53min: Now Southampton win a free kick on the edge of the area.
51min: Huge, huge screams for a Southampton penalty as Sulemane’s shot may have hit De Ligt’s hand... but VAR clear it.
49min: It’s end to end. Southampton not sitting back.
47min: Antony forces a corner straight away.
Second half!
21:03 , Alex Young46min: Back underway!
Antony is on for Mainoo. Interesting move.
Anthony is warming up...
You wonder what Amorim changes at half-time. Garnacho will be nervous at half-time.
Half-time!
20:48 , Alex Young48min: United have been very poor. Boos around Old Trafford.
47min: Amad wants a penalty but the referee isn’t interested.
46min: One minute added on as United push for an equaliser.
44min: Dibling now forces Onana into another big save!
GOAL!
20:44 , Alex Young43min: It’s been coming and even Onana couldn’t stop that one!
Mateus Fernandes sends in the corner, Dibling flicks on and the ball bounces in off Ugarte’s back.
42min: Sulemana fancies this tonight, and you don’t blame him. Only a last-ditch De Ligt tackle denies the opener.
39min: United scrambling now and the team who are panicking and rushing things.
35min: Bruno Fernandes tries his luck from distance and that Ramsdale’s first save.
34min: Oh, Sulemana should score!
He has Yoro on toast again, drives at the defence but inside of cutting onto his left and shooting he cuts inside onto his right and gets his angle wrong. His shot flies over.
31min: You didn’t expect Ramsdale to be the quieter of the keepers tonight.
DOUBLE SAVE!
20:29 , Alex Young28min: Oh, wow! Onana has saved United with two huge saves, the first from Dibling and then Mateus Fernandes with the follow-up from point-blank range.
27min: Garnacho gives the ball away twice inside a minute. He’s having a shocker so far.
25min: Garnacho is at the centre of everything and this time decides to ignore Hojlund to his left and shoots at the legs of the Southampton defender.
24min: Another chance for United as Mainoo skips into the area and tries to cut it back to Garnacho, but he’s too static and the pass is cut out.
20min: Sitter!
Garnacho has to bury it. Hojlund does everything right to drive into the area and put it on a plate for Garnacho to sidefoot home, but he misses the target!
19min: Mateus Fernandes takes a Garnacho shot square in the face. He’ll be OK.
18min: Bruno Fernandes wins a corner, which Amad floats in and Dibling clears at the front post.
United have not started this game well.
16min: Now Ugarte is beaten with ease to let Fernandes run at the United defence and squeeze a shot through.
Easy one for Onana but United need to respond here.
14min: Southampton firmly on top at the moment.
12min: Great chance as Sugawara skips past Yoro as if he isn’t there and forces a great save from Onana.
A corker of a cut inside from the midfielder.
11min: All the possession is with Southampton at the moment. United not getting out of their own half.
9min: Martinez with a late challenge on Fernandes (not that one), and Southampton have a free-kick about 25 yards out.
6min: Southampton are all a bit frantic when on the ball. It’s rushed and careless.
4min: Fernandes’ delivery has to be pushed away by Ramsdale. Almost snuck inside the near post!
3min: A first drive through the middle from Fernandes, who feeds in Garnacho to win a corner.
KICK-OFF
20:01 , Alex Young1min: Here we go!
"Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver is blaring out of the PA system as Southampton win the toss.
Teams are out, it’s a packed Old Trafford on this Thursday night.
Right, the players are in the tunnel. Not long to go now.
Final prep.
I mentioned earlier this Southampton team have won just two points from the last 27 available.
United’s record during the same time? Eight points.
No new manager bounce at either team.
Amorim on team news
19:30 , Alex Young"Harry [Maguire] is tired and he had a tough week. I think Southampton will play without a striker and with more speed in front.
“Leny is a quick player and he is a top talent. He is ready to cope with the demands of the game."
Amorim began his reign with heavy rotation to find his best XI, but now three months into the job those changes have become less and less.
It’s now fairly easy to see who he likes, and who he doesn’t.
So, Dalot’s replacement is Amad at right wing-back as Mazraoui moves to left wing-back.
Amorim clearly really trusts the former Bayern Munich man, he’s used him in multiple roles this season.
It is interesting that Garnacho starts again. He has been linked with a move away this month, with Napoli reportedly very keen.
It's two changes for United as Yoro and Garnacho come in. Dalot is suspended, and Maguire is also given a rest.
Southampton also make two changes. Sugawara and Fernandes come in, with Wood and Onuachu making way.
Confirmed team news
18:51 , Alex YoungManchester United XI: Onana; Yoro, De Ligt, Martinez; Amad, Ugarte, Mainoo, Mazraoui; Garnacho, Hojlund, Fernandes.
Subs: Bayindir, Kukonki, Maguire, Malacia, Casemiro, Collyer, Eriksen, Antony, Zirkzee
Southampton XI: Ramsdale, Sugawara, Bree, Bednarek, Harwood-Bellis, Walker-Peters, Ugochukwu, Fernandes, Aribo, Dibling, Kamaldeen
Subs: McCarthy, Manning, Wood, Smallbone, Downes, Lallana, Armstrong, Archer, Onuachu
Southampton XI
18:46 , Alex Young...and the visitors!
Your YELLOWS 💛 pic.twitter.com/yqR4gSipTj
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) January 16, 2025
Man Utd XI
18:45 , Alex YoungHere’s how the host looks!
Here are your Red Devils to face the Saints 👊#MUFC || #MUNSOU
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 16, 2025
The big questions for Amorim is over who comes in for Dalot, where does Amad goes (those two could be linked) and has Zirkzee earned a start over Hojlund?
Team news to come in 15 minutes.
Amorim: This game will teach me more about players than last two
18:25 , Alex YoungRuben Amorim sayus tonight's will show him more about his Manchester United side than their recent performances against Liverpool and Arsenal.
"I think this next game will teach me more from my players than the last two, so I'm really focused to see what kind of game we are going to play," Amorim said.
"We will learn more (on Thursday). There were no expectations for us in the last two games, nobody believed in us to do a great performance or win a game, but now they are expecting us to win and to play well. So I will learn more in this game."
Squad arrives
18:17Also spotted arriving at Old Trafford includes: Andre Onana, Altay Bayindir, Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire, Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez, Noussair Mazraoui, Leny Yoro, Casemiro, Toby Collyer, Christian Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte, Amad, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund and Joshia Zirkzee
Oh, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Latest odds
18:10 , Alex YoungThe bookies agree with us, then. This should be fairly routine for United tonight.
- Manchester United – 1/3
- Draw – 17/4
- Southampton – 15/2
(Odds provided by Betway.)
Kukoni included again
18:05 , Alex YoungIt looks like youngster Goodwill Kukoni is again in the matchday squad tonight. He had made an impression on Ruben Amorim since the manager’s appointment but is yet to get on the pitch.
Surely his time will come soon.
Score prediction
18:00 , Alex YoungBruno Fernandes said on the pitch at the Emirates on Sunday that the focus was immediately on this game, and he was right to do so. United have managed to get results at the three best teams in the country - Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal - but it is against the weaker teams where they produced far weaker performances.
However, very few teams leave the field after facing Southampton without points - it’s happened just once in 20 games this season - so United have no excuse. Fail to win, and win well, will eradicate the promising signs on show since the start of 2025.
Man Utd to win, 2-0.
Southampton team news
17:50 , Alex YoungSouthampton have been boosted by the return to fitness of Flynn Downes.
The defensive midfielder is back in contention to face United, having been absent since being forced off with a leg injury during the Boxing Day defeat to West Ham.
"Flynn Downes did his first training (on Tuesday)," manager Ivan Juric said.
"He is OK. We will see if he can play from the beginning or later, but he is OK."
Matheus Fernandes is available after serving a one-match ban, and Will Smallbone is also back after injury.
Man Utd team news
17:40 , Alex YoungManchester United will be without Diogo Dalot tonight as Ruben Amorim is forced into changes.
The defender’s two yellow cards against Arsenal in the FA Cup penalty shootout win means he serves a one-game suspension.
In his place, Amad Diallo could come in at right wing-back. On the opposite flank, Tyrell Malacia could be afforded a start.
Harry Maguire earned many plaudits for his performance against Arsenal, but may make way for Leny Yoro in Ruben Amorim’s back three.
The rest of the team should pick itself, with Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte in midfield and both Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho in attack.
Though Toby Collyer has impressed his manager, who told reporters on Wednesday that the youngster is “one more option for tomorrow."
Ruben Amorim said: "A lot of players I had to think this week, Toby is training really well, he has a lot of pace, he likes to learn."
Rasmus Hojlund could make way for Joshua Zirkzee, but the former appears to be first-choice under the new manager.
How to watch Manchester United vs Southampton
17:33 , Alex YoungTV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate. Coverage starts at 7pm GMT ahead of an 8pm kick-off.
Live stream: Fans can catch the contest live online via the Discovery+ app and website.
Welcome
17:29 , Alex YoungGood evening and welcome to the London Standard’s LIVE coverage of the Premier League clash between Manchester United and Southampton.
This is a marker game for United and Ruben Amorim. After taking points off Liverpool and then knocking out Arsenal out of the FA Cup, it’s the games against the weaker teams where United’s mentality struggles.
But, surely, this Southampton team gets nothing today? Stranger things have happened. Kick-off is at 8pm.
