It was a night when Ralf Rangnick could look beyond his new job as Manchester United’s interim manager to that consultancy role awaiting him next summer. A night to glimpse United’s future. A night for the young boys.
No, not those Young Boys but you have to say the Swiss deserved their point in the Manchester rain three months on from a shock Champions League win over United in Bern.
This was a night for Rangnick to turn to the kids with qualification already assured and one game still to go in Group F.
Mason Greenwood (centre) celebrates scoring Manchester United’s opening goal in the ninth minute against Young Boys
Greenwood adjusted to a cross to turn home a volley with expertise to steer United into the lead at Old Trafford
The striker celebrates his goal in front of United fans during the 1-1 Champions League group stage draw with Young Boys
They didn’t let him down even though Mason Greenwood is likely to be the only contender for a starting place at Norwich on Saturday following another excellent goal.
It was asking a lot of a second string to click in the same way United did for Rangnick’s first game against Crystal Palace at the weekend, and they were pegged back by opponents who still had an outside chance of making the Europa League.
The mistake that led to it came not from one of the youngsters entrusted from the start by Rangnick – Amad Diallo or Anthony Elanga – but Donny van de Beek who will be cursing his lapse of judgement.
Did Van de Beek and United’s other fringe players do enough to alter Rangnick’s thinking for Norwich? Probably not in the case of Dean Henderson, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard.
Fabian Rieder intercepted a loose pass from Donny van de Beek (second right) before scoring a stunning equaliser
Rieder celebrates his magnificent strike that brought Young Boys level on the stroke of half-time at Old Trafford
MATCH FACTS AND GROUP STANDINGS
Manchester United (4-2-2-2): Henderson 6.5 (Heaton 68min, 6); Wan-Bissaka 6, Bailly 7, Matic 6, Shaw 6.5 (Mengi 61, 7); Van de Beek 6, Mata 6 (Savage 89); Diallo 6 (Shoretire 68, 6), Lingard 6.5 (Iqbal 89); Greenwood 7, Elanga 6.
Scorers: Greenwood 9. Booked: Shoretire.
Manager: Ralf Rangnick 6.
Young Boys (4-2-3-1): Faivre 7.5; Maceiras 5, Camara 6.5 (Lauper 77), Lustenberger 7, Lefort 6; Aebischer 6.5 (Sierro 62, 6), Martins Pereira 6.5; Elia 6 (Maier 87), Rieder 7 (Hefti 62, 6), Moumi Ngamaleu 5.5; Siebatcheu 6 (Kanga 62, 6).
Scorers: Rieder 42.
Manager: David Wagner 6.
Referee: Benoit Bastien (France) 6.5.
Atalanta vs Villarreal called off due to heavy snowfall
Aaron Wan-Bissaka had an opportunity to reclaim the right-back slot from Diogo Dalot but the man who was sent off in Bern was carried off after the final whistle on this occasion with knee and wrist injuries.
Luke Shaw made a first appearance in five games following a head injury, and his withdrawal after an hour suggests that he will be in contention with Alex Telles at left-back.
But this was about the kids. By the end, it resembled a youth team game as Rangnick called the four young players – Teden Mengi, Shola Shoretire, Charlie Savage and Zidane Iqbal – off the bench who had only been added to United’s Champions League squad on Tuesday night.
Six teenagers used in total, something that had only happened on four other occasions in Champions League history.
United handed rare starts to fringe stars in the dead rubber including Swedish forward Anthony Elanga on Wednesday night
Amad Diallo was also given an opportunity to impress from the start by Ralf Rangnick before he was subbed in the second half
The exception was third-choice goalkeeper Tom Heaton who became the oldest Englishman to make his debut in this competition for 21 years when he replaced Henderson in the second half.
‘I was aware it was a bit of a risk,’ said Rangnick, who rested the entire starting XI from the win over Palace.
‘I wanted to save some players for Norwich and we have picked up a few more knocks.
‘I was aware before the game that this team had not played together. We should have been 2-0 or 3-0 up but we didn’t score and were sloppy.’
That isn’t something you could level at Greenwood when he fired United ahead in the ninth minute.
Young Boys were the better side in the second half as United gradually faded away, with Quentin Maceiras going close
Heavy rain fell late on in the second half as Young Boys pushed looking for a late winner to seal Europa League football
Interim United manager Rangnick looks on from the touchline along with his assistant Darren Fletcher at Old Trafford
Elanga fed Shaw on the overlap and his crossed picked out Greenwood on the edge of the six-yard box. He reacted faster than Jordan Lefort, shaping his body in mid-air to volley an excellent finish beyond Guillaume Faivre.
Greenwood set up another clear chance for Mata but his shot from 10 yards deflected off Fabian Lustenberger and Faivre on its way over the bar.
Up to that point, Henderson had only been called on to race out of his goal three times and clear the danger, but United’s No.2 keeper was beaten just before half-time following a mistake by Van de Beek. It came during a spell of pressure from the Swiss but felt surprising all the same.
Nemanja Matic, operating as a stand-in captain and centre-back last night, played the ball to Van de Beek on the edge of the United box and he attempted a similar pass to Wan-Bissaka.
Tom Heaton (second left) came on for his Manchester United debut aged 35, having started his career at the club
Zidane Iqbal (left) and Charlie Savage also made their Manchester United debuts very late on in the second half
Savage is the son of former United graduate Robbie who never managed to make a first team appearance for the club
However, Wan-Bissaka didn’t seem to be expecting it and the pass was short anyway. Fabian Rieder stole in and sent a sumptuous shot curling beyond Henderson.
At a time when United’s players are trying to impress the new boss and Van de Beek has more to prove than most, it was unfortunate for the Dutchman.
‘We could have cleared the ball easily for the goal we conceded, which was annoying – I told them before the game how to do that,’ said Rangnick.
Jordan Siebatcheu, who scored Young Boys’ stoppage-time winner in September, went close again and so did Quentin Maceiras.
United’s best chance fell to Elanga following a smart move involving Diallo and Lingard, but Faivre rushed out to make a great save.
RE-LIVE ALL THE ACTION AS IT HAPPENED…
Manchester United will play under new interim boss Ralf Rangnick for just the second time on Wednesday night when they host Young Boys in their final Champions League group stage game.
The Red Devils are already assured of a place in the last-16 as group winners, so Rangnick may look at the fixture as a chance to hand fringe players a chance to play as he weighs up his options.
Follow Sportsmail’s DAN RIPLEY for live Champions League coverage of Manchester Untied vs Young Boys, including build-up, team news and scoreline.
Elsewhere in Group F, Atalanta take on Villarreal with both sides battling for a Europa League spot, which we will keep you up-to-date with.
