Manchester United’s youngsters were taught a tough lesson as Astana came from a goal down to inflict the English side’s first defeat in Europa League Group L.
With the visitors having already qualified for the last 32, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer spared his senior players the 6,000-mile round-trip to Kazakhstan, took a squad packed with academy graduates and chose an XI with an average age of 22 years and 26 days – the youngest fielded in European competition.
Jesse Lingard, the eldest of the outfield players at 26 and captain for the night, gave United a 10th-minute lead when his deflected low strike found Nenad Eric’s bottom left corner. It ended a goal drought dating back to January.
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