Move over Garnacho: 33-touch Man Utd maelstrom ripped Newcastle apart in first half

Newcastle United have proven difficult to knock off their perch when taking a lead at St James’ Park.

So, it goes to show the improvements Manchester United have made under Ruben Amorim’s tenure to say they equalised proceedings ahead of the first-half break.

Alejandro Garnacho proved the hero of the first 45, with the Argentine international bringing the Red Devils level 37 minutes into the clash.

The 20-year-old took advantage of a lethal United counter that saw Diogo Dalot provide the killer ball, feeding his teammate’s run into the 18-yard box.

Alejandro Garnacho!

What a finish from the Manchester United winger pic.twitter.com/IdquW6uJyT

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 13, 2025

What do the stats say about Diogo Dalot?

Special mentions for Garnacho (7.2/10) and Bruno Fernandes (7/10), who both registered healthy Sofascore scores thanks to their positive first-half performances at St James’ Park.

Statistically, however, it was Dalot who left the turf with the highest score (7.3/10) owing in no small part to his assist in the first 45.

• 33 touches
• 13/18 passes completed (78%)
• 1 key pass
• 1 assist
• 1/1 crosses completed
• 1/1 dribbles completed
• 4/5 ground duels won
• Possession lost 9 times
• 1 clearance
• 1 interception

What a shame it would be to see the footballer sold this summer amid reported interest from Bayern and Real Madrid.

Enough quality for Manchester United

There’s been a fair bit made of Diogo Dalot’s suitability for life at Old Trafford.

Amid some links to Bayern Munich, Christian Falk reported that the Bavarian giants didn’t deem the Portuguese footballer worthy of his €40m [£34.7m] price tag.

Barring a first-half error that led to Manuel Ugarte stepping in to kill a Newcastle break (and earn a yellow card for his efforts) the fullback has done a commendable job in the North East.

We’ve seen plenty of industry in the backline in the first half alone against the Magpies and creativity moving forward where it was required.

We’re under no illusions as to Dalot’s standing amongst the globe’s top fullbacks, but to suggest he’s lacking in quality would be obscene.

The post Move over Garnacho: 33-touch Man Utd maelstrom ripped Newcastle apart in first half appeared first on Stretty News.