Manchester United staged a dramatic second-half comeback to beat Southampton 3-1 at Old Trafford.
Amad Diallo stole the headlines with a sensational hat-trick. The young winger’s clinical finish in the final 10 minutes turned things around for the home side after a poor first half left them behind.
Southampton started brightly and deservedly took the lead in the 43rd minute.
Mateus Fernandes’ dangerous corner was met by Tyler Dibling and Manuel Ugarte was only able to divert the ball into his own net under pressure.
The visitors dominated most of the first half, with Andre Onana denying Dibling and Fernandes, ultimately keeping United in the game.
Alejandro Garnazzo missed a golden chance, side-footing after a tire from Rasmus Hojlund, and Antony missed a man shortly after the break, slipping an effort calmly into the hands of Aaron Ramsdale.
A late performance ensures we get three points – and @AmadDiallo_19 takes the match ball 🎩#MUFC || #MUNSOU
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 16, 2025
But Diallo was the man to score, leveling the scores in the 82nd minute.
After a clever pass from substitute Joshua Zirkzee, the Ivorian’s initial shot was blocked but he buried the rebound into the bottom corner with a calm finish.
The momentum then swung completely in United’s favor and Diallo struck again in the 90th minute to give his side the lead.
His incisive running and clever interplay with Christian Eriksen led him to a delightful cut-back from the Dane to curl a superb finish past Ramsdale.
Old Trafford erupted as Diallo celebrated what appeared to be the winning goal.
Southampton pressed ahead in stoppage time, hoping to salvage a point.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis went close from a corner, but his header struck teammate Flynn Downes and went wide.
Then, in the dying moments, it was game over. Ramsdale’s poorly executed pass put Harwood-Bellis under pressure and Diallo swooped in to cut in, missing the empty net to seal his hat-trick and victory.
It was a statement performance from Diallo, who showed maturity and composure in a game where United desperately needed inspiration.
While the introductions of Eriksen and Zirkzee added creativity and presence, it was the young winger’s clinical finishing and relentless energy that turned the game around.
