• Man Utd bounced back from Brighton defeat with late Europa League win
• Rangers equalised late on through substitute Cyriel Dessers
• Bruno Fernandes gabbred the even later decisive goal in stoppage time

• Man Utd scored late on to beat Rangers in the Europa League
• Glasgow visitor had equalised shortly before the end of the game
• Bruno Fernandes connected with Lisandro Martinez's cross to win it

Manchester United are up to fourth place in the Europa League standings with only one 'league phase' left fixture to play, having beaten Rangers 2-1 at Old Trafford on Thursday night.

Manchester United hit back in stoppage time to secure victory over Rangers in Thursday night’s Europa League clash at Old Trafford.

Before that, a comical own goal from Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland, who spent the first six months of 2023 on loan with the Red Devils, looked it would be enough to decided the contest.

How the game unfolded

The first big chance went the way of Rangers ten minutes in. United contributed by losing the ball in their own half, Toby Collyer crowded out in midfield after receiving a pass under pressure, resulting in Nicolas Raskin going through on goal. Altay Bayindir rushed out and a stumble from Raskin at the critical moment saw the United goalkeeper come out on top.

Bayindir was called into action again soon afterwards, parrying a volleyed attempt from international teammate Ridvan Yilmaz.

United had dominated possession without creating much of note, until midway through the first half when Alejandro Garnacho fired a shot at goal that was deflected over the bar off the head of Raskin. Matthijs de Ligt headed in the resultant corner, but a soft foul from Leny Yoro saw it ruled out.

A fine team move into the latter stages before half-time handed Amad Diallo a sight of goal, slid in with a measured Bruno Fernandes pass. Butland came out well to smother. He also got a strong hand to a powerful Lisandro Martinez drive, either side of a heavily deflected shot from Hamza Igamane that had a wrongfooted Bayindir sprawling across goal to push away

Within a few minutes of the second half beginning, Igamane was responsible for excellent defending in his own box when he headed away an in-swinging corner from almost right under the crossbar.

The early United pressure continued and Fernandes’ goal-bound shot was agonisingly deflected over by Robin Propper, with the corner that followed Butland’s nightmare moment. The former England international never fully took off and was under the ball as he attempted to punch clear, inadvertently sending it spinning backwards into the goal instead.

On the hour mark, Propper was the reason Garnacho didn’t make it 2-0 with a clever shot across goal from Amad’s cutback, knocking the ball off the line with his head. There was also a chance for Harry Maguire with a back-post header that narrowly missed the target. Butland somewhat redeemed himself with a reflex save to deny Manuel Ugarte’s diving header, and a parry from Garnacho.

Rangers were struggling to create in the second as United’s superior depth showed, yet there were warning signs before the equaliser came, first as Jefte hit a dipping shot from outside the box straight at Bayindir, and later Dessers striking the post with a clever lift over the United No.1. His 88th minute goal was well taken, outmaneuvering Maguire, controlling the dropping ball and shooting hard and low into the far bottom corner.

But the action wasn’t over. United pushed back and Martinez advanced from the back to delivering an inviting cross into the penalty area into the path of Fernandes, who met it on the volley to squeeze the ball through Butland’s legs and claim the win.

Bruno Fernandes kept his cool in the box in the 92nd minute to put Ruben Amorim’s team back in front after Cyriel Dessers had equalised just moments earlier for Rangers.

Rangers looked they had snatched a late point to boost their own hopes of reaching the knockout rounds when Cyriel Dessers cancelled out an earlier own goal from ex-United 'keeper Jack Butland. But Bruno Fernandes popped up with an even later 'captain's goal' in the 92nd minute to win it.

It was a much-needed tonic for Ruben Amorim and his team off the back of Sunday's painful Premier League defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, but actually a fourth straight win in Europe.

United's destiny ahead of matchday eight's trip to Romania's FCSB is firmly in their own hands, hoping to stay in the top eight and bypass the play-off round straight into the last 16. Rangers can be more or less assured of progression too, but the top eight is likely to be beyond them.