A stiffly and sluggish performance by Manchester United was ultimately punish late as Joao Moutinho ‘s finish pushed a feisty Wolves to a celebrated gain at Old Trafford and piled pressure on interim coach Ralf Rangnick .
Despite an unbeaten beginning to his Premier League tenure with the Red Devils, Rangnick had received criticism for his team ‘s confusing tactics and patched performances. That was on full display as Rangnick left playmaker Bruno Fernandes on the bench and United was dead throughout.

Wolves finished the first half with 15 entire shots, the most for any visiting team at Old Trafford ever in a first half, despite Wolves ‘ well-known inability to score. While it remained 0-0 at halftime, changes were required, and finally Rangnick changed formation and brought on Fernandes with a half-hour to go, changing the feel of the crippled and injecting some life into the home side. MORE: Ronaldo pats self on back, demands Man United work harder
finally, however, United would break as Moutinho collected a Phil Jones clearance and deposited it into the back of the net to confirm Wolves ‘ first league win at Old Trafford since 1980. Rangnick will have plenty to answer for, seeming to prefer his own tactics to those that fit the players at his disposal. “ We did n’t play well at all, neither individually nor jointly, ” Rangnick said postgame. “ today we have to admit they were better than us. ” “ We did n’t press at all. We tried after 10-15 minutes, but we were not able to get into those pressing situations, ” Rangnick said when asked about his trademark weight-lift bet on, besides citing the difficulty created by Wolves ‘ five midfielders, which included two wingbacks. “ The game showed that we calm have a lot of work to do and we inactive have to take quite a few steps both jointly and individually, specially against the ball. But besides in the first one-half, when we were in possession of the ball, we had again besides many unforced errors, excessively many giveaways and in those parts of the game we just need to get better. ”

Man United vs. Wolves final score

  1H 2H Final
Man United   0   0  0
Wolves   0   1  1

Goals:
WOL — Joao Moutinho — 82nd min. ( All times Eastern )

Final: Manchester United 0, Wolves 1

Bruno Fernandes injected some life into the match, hitting the bar minutes after coming on and forcing a late save, but it ‘s all for nothing. United is punished for a abject beginning half and negative tactics overall. It ‘s a typical Wolves performance, dear value for their maintain and fair adequate up front. Rangnick will need to think about finding a way in for Fernandes and Sancho, without forcing a squarely peg into a round hole. A time of reckoning is coming for United .

The Wolves midfield ran the show today at Old Trafford, obviously with Moutinho ‘s finish but besides the partnership between he and Neves. The portuguese duet bossed it at Old Trafford, particularly in the first base half .

95th min.:  With one stopping point find, United have a free kick equitable outside the area thanks to a high boot by Silva to the face of Phil Jones. Fernandes has taken the testis off Ronaldo, and his venemous dislodge kick is saved expertly by ‘keeper Jose Sa. The concluding whistle blows true after. 88th min.:  United has had little response since the finish. Traore cut down by Shaw, who ‘s hush going in intemperate despite being on a yellow. Wolves withdraw Daniel Podence for Leander Dendoncker looking to shut up shop. Podence was full of life and defended well excessively. solid performance .

82nd min.:  GOAL ! Wolves ! Adama Traore edit in a cross, and while Jones clears initially, Joao Moutinho controls at the top of the box and delivers a low strike through Scott McTominay ‘s wickets and into the back of the net. Wolves are minutes away from a merited victory at Old Trafford .

81st min.:  Raul Jimenez very slowly walks off, replaced by Fabio Silva. intelligibly, no importunity from the Mexican international. 77th min.:  Jadon Sancho nowadays makes way as Ralf Rangnick brings on Marcus Rashford. Sancho was inconspicuous all match, although he ‘s not precisely been given the exemption to be his most dangerous self on the pitch. He was stuck in a true winger function in the fixed 4-4-2 before being moved to wingback. 75th min.:  Adama Traore slices up the United midfield on the counter, and Nemanja Matic has to absorb a yellow card to stop the chance, cutting Traore correctly before he enters the penalty area. The complimentary kick is a poisonous one from Romain Saiss but it ‘s hammered off the stripe. It ‘s Wolves ‘ first attack in a while. Old Trafford is enjoying Manchester United ‘s newfound spark, but they ‘re not terribly creative about it .

69th min.:  And Ronaldo puts another feat wide, on a breakaway prospect thanks to a fantastic Fernandes rescue. Ronaldo displays his surrender cobra, give birth of frustration. A mystery why Bruno Fernandes was dropped from the starting batting order for this equal, United has awoken once he arrived. nowadays they earn a corner, their first of the meet. The crowd applaud, possibly in actual appreciation, but credibly with a allude of sarcasm .

68th min.:  now Ronaldo has the ball in the back of the internet, heading in off a free kick rescue, but he’s very offside and the flag confirms his misdemeanor. United may be ultimately taking control. 67th min.:  WAKE UP EVERYONE ! WE HAVE A BIG prospect ! In the first true test of the nets, Bruno Fernandes clatters a shot off the crossbar. truthfully, it should be 1-0. It came off a fabulous cut crossbreed from near the corner flag by Matic, and Fernandes is all alone by the penalty descry. He whips his foot at it erstwhile, and it should be in the back of the internet. 65th min.:  As Wolves proceed to take their eighth corner of the match to Man United ‘s zero, Old Trafford hears those terrifying four words : “ Adama Traore coming on. ” He replaces Trincao who was very bouncy. man United defender Luke Shaw is on a scandalmongering. Look out .

60th min.:  Bruno Fernandes comes on, replacing Mason Greenwood, which is n’t a popular motivate around Old Trafford, but it appears the child may have taken a knock merely before the substitution. It ‘s not identical clear what the tactical apparatus is right now. Hard to tell if the players know either, as Ronaldo is gesturing dramatically at left wingback Jadon Sancho while the ball goes out for a throw .

57th min.:  Luke Shaw booked for barging over Trincao, and he will miss the adjacent match due to yellow wag collection. Looks like Bruno Fernandes will come on. distillery not certain where he plays in the 3-4-3, but we will see. 55th min.:  Aaron Wan-Bissaka mis-hits a crabbed, embarrassingly. Down the early conclusion, Max Kilman looks to show his opposing fullback how it ‘s done with a charge advancing, but he slips and loses the ball, embarrassingly. A microcosm of this plot. 49th min.:  Scott McTominay booked for absolutely barging over Daniel Podence. Clear yellow, no arguing that. United appears to have changed up the organization, thankfully. It ‘s a bad transfer, to a 3-4-3. Cavani and Greenwood supporting Ronaldo in the middle. At the back, it ‘s Varane, Jones, and Shaw at cardinal defender with Wan-Bissaka and Sancho at wingback .

46th min.:  The second half is afoot, no substitutions for either side. Jadon Sancho has the first base probability of the second half, but rather of taking it himself, he looks to pick out Ronaldo and it fails. The comment crowd urges Sancho to be more selfish. Ca n’t think Ronaldo would feel the same .

Halftime: Manchester United 0, Wolves 0

beginning half xG : 0.21 – 0.74. What a putrid 45 minutes.

For Wolves — intelligibly the better side over the half — the failures in the attacking third have Bruno Lage visibly frustrated on the touchline. They’ve done quite well to hold monomania, recycle, and build into the concluding third gear, but there it all falls apart. For United, the Ralf Rangnick 4-4-2 just is not working. The Red Devils can not maintain any illusion of prolong attacking possession, they are atrocious in the build-up, and the two strikers up front man are completely sequester. Bruno Fernandes has no spot in this antediluvian geological formation, and Jadon Sancho is stuck in a function he ‘s not made to play, unable to contribute. It ‘s time for Rangnick to mold his tactics to the players he has available, not the early way around .

44th min.:  An absolute snoozer of a beginning half mercifully ending soon. United losing the ball, Wolves recycling possession, Wolves build up, Wolves fail in concluding third gear, United collect ball, United midfield giveaway. Rinse, repeat. Trincao, who has been bright, comes close to meeting a crisscross but it ‘s just out of his reach .

35th min.:  It ‘s the best chance of the meet, but a wide-open Raul Jimenez misses a header on the doorsill. He was well offside anyways, so despite the miss, the flag goes up. Wolves very close. The chance, hilariously, started with Ronaldo inexplicably trying to head it back to De Gea, but rather giving it right to Wolves in the assail third gear. De Gea, rightly so, lights up Ronaldo for trying that .

34th min.:  Phil Jones snatches back possession in the attack third base and the crowd goes bonkers. The opportunity comes to nothing as Greenwood tries to meander through the trees in the punishment area. The herd ‘s reaction speaks vitamin a much to how bland this crippled has been as it does their affection for the defender .

29th min.:  Wolves again kill about 10 minutes with slowly and sleepy possession before United pops up again, through the same attack as last, and with the lapp solution, as a Wan-Bissaka traverse goes over the drumhead of a rising Ronaldo. A problem for Wolves here as Ruben Neves is down for treatment, looks like McTominay caught him slenderly. He ‘s a very important player .

20th min.:  Old Trafford begins to feel the coerce, and the fans come to life. The team immediately responds and produces its first attack through, of all people, Aaron Wan-Bissaka. The defensive-minded right back whips in a hybridization, and Cristiano Ronaldo rises very high gear in an try to meet it, but the musket ball sails barely over his head. 17th min.:  If we ‘re being honest, it feels like Man United has so far to show up. Wolves have taken seven shots to United ‘s one, although most of the visitors ‘ efforts have been from well outside the box. They entirely have a combined 0.22 xG for those seven rips. United has wasted monomania after self-control. Nelson Semedo takes shoot count eight for Wolves, forcing another De Gea save from a close lean on the right field. 12th min.:  Daniel Podence forces a spare from David de Gea from a tight slant, but the Spaniard was well-positioned. The ensuing corner about saw Ruben Neves unleash a Kovacic-like volley from miles away, but again De Gea was there to keep it out .

8th min.:  An absolutely bizarre pas from Mason Greenwood springs a break for Manchester United, but it comes to nothing. Take nothing aside from the pass, which saw Greenwood — pinned in near the top recess of his own box and facing his own net — whip his body about and deliver a 40-yard feed to spring Jadon Sancho on the opposite flank. My good .

5th min.:  Wolves have had the bright start early on, holding 70 percentage self-control in the opening five minutes. A few warn signs for United from the beginning, and a corner to Wolves. 1st min.:  We ‘re afoot at Old Trafford, with a massive applause for Phil Jones in his return. The 29-year-old is a massively popular player not barely among Man United fans, but around England .

12:20 p.m.:  Hammer the under

12:15 p.m.:  Can Cristiano Ronaldo be the drawing card United needs ?

11:55 a.m.:  Lineups are in, confirming Phil Jones gets his beginning league start in two years. The coach sang his praises, as did the media .

Man United vs. Wolves lineups

man United coach Ralf Rangnick has taken the bluff step of dropping Bruno Fernandes, who missed the last equal due to pause, but only returns to the terrace. There seems to be no invest for the natural No. 10 in Rangnick ‘s rigid 4-4-2 formation. The pit is besides the inaugural start for Phil Jones since 2020, with Harry Maguire missing ascribable to injury. Man United starting lineup (4-4-2): De Gea ( GK ) — Shaw, Jones, Varane, Wan-Bissaka — Greenwood, Matic, McTominay, Sancho — Ronaldo, Cavani. Man United subs (9):  Henderson ( GK ), Telles, Dalot, Elanga, Van de Beek, Fred, Lingard, Fernandes, Rashford. Bruno Lage makes only two changes from the draw with Chelsea, as Francisco Trincao and Nelson Semedo arrive into the side. Wolves starting lineup (4-4-2): Jose Sa ( GK ) — Kilman, Coady, Saiss — Marcal, Neves, Moutinho, Trincao, Semedo — Jimenez, Podence. Wolves subs (9):  Ruddy ( GK ), Hoever, Alt-Nouri, Jordao, Silva, Dendoncker, Traore, Cundle, Bueno. MORE: Pulisic the Lebron James of soccer? Twitter didn’t get it.

How to watch Man United vs. Wolves

  • Date: Monday, Jan. 3
  • Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: USA Network
  • Spanish-language TV: Universo
  • Streaming: fuboTV, NBCSports.com (authenticated users)

The match from Old Trafford will be broadcast on USA Network ( English ) and Universo ( spanish ) and both channels can be streamed on fuboTV, which is available to new users on a loose 7-day trial.

Subscribers to cable, satellite or telephone company packages can besides watch on NBCSports.com with authentication. MORE: What happened to NBCSN? Where to watch Premier League in USA

Man United vs. Wolves betting lines & odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings

  • Moneyline : Man United -150 / Draw +950 / Wolves +450
  • Spread : Man United -0.5 (-150) / Wolves +0.5 (+130)
  • O/U 2.5 total goals : Over +120 / Under -145
  • Both teams to score : Yes +105 / No -135