SCORE: 2nd Half

MANCHESTER UNITED 0-1 (Leadbitter) MIDDLESBROUGH

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If anything is wrong, don't hesitate to PM me. Suggestions also welcome!

Premier League Tie between Manchester United and Middlesbrough

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Date: December 31st, 2016

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Kick off BST: 15:00

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Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester

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Starting XI's:

Manchester United F.C.	Middlesbrough F.C.
De Gea	Valdes
Valencia	Friend
Bailly	Gibson
Smalling	Chambers
Blind	Bernardo
Pogba	de Roon
Herrera	Leadbitter
Fellaini	Forshaw
Mkhitaryan	Downing
Martial	Traore
Ibrahimovic	Negredo

Man Utd F.C. SUBS:Romero, Rojo, Jones, Schweinsteiger, Mata, Lingard, Rashford

Middlesbrough F.C. SUBS: Guzan, Fabio, Ayala, Ramirez, Clayton, Stuani, Rhodes

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Team news:

• Smalling and Bailly return to deputise the centre of defence!

• Blind returns at LB, while Carrick is rested and Fellaini starts

• Mkhitaryan and Martial on the wings to start

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UPDATES:

FIRST HALF UPDATES:

0' KICK OFF

0' KICK OFF! United get us underway in red! Middlesbrough in blue.

3' Middlesbrough counter with three forwards against only Antonio Valencia and Traore makes a terrible mistake and ruins his chance.

5' United starting to gain some control in the Middlesbrough half. Traore has been the danger man so far for Middlesbrough.

10' Martial has gotten the better of Chambers twice already and looks to be the focal point of our early attacks.

15' POGBA HAS HIT THE POST! United dominating in the past few minutes. The ball came in across goal to Mkhi who headed back across the 6 yard box and Pogba tries a spectacular overhead kick but it's off the post and away!

17' United's high pressing has forced Middlesbrough into a few mistakes but Middlesbrough have looked good on the counter with Traore having gotten the better of Blind a few times.

25' United's passing in midfield has been very good with Herrera, Martial, Pogba, and Mkhi looking great so far on the ground and Fellaini is providing a good outlet in the air. Pogba's just had a free kick fly into the East End though.

30' United have been absolutely dominant with the ball and are looking very dangerous around the box. Fellaini's latest header has just gone over the bar and skimmed the top of the net. Our passing has looked very good so far and we're making good runs and are looking dynamic. We just need a breakthrough.

38' WE HAVE A GOAL DISALLOWED! Martial hits the post with a great shot initially and then retrieves the ball on the wing before crossing to Ibrahimovic who stabs the ball home with a leaping kick. The referee has disallowed it for a high boot even though it wasn't the boot that caught Valdes, but the follow-through of the leap.

45' TWO MINUTES ADDED

45+2' HALF TIME

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SECOND HALF UPDATES:

45' KICK OFF! We're underway again!

50' Great interplay from Pogba and Ibrahimovic as Pogba feeds through Ibra in the box with a clever pass but Ibra's shot is straight at Valdes as he's under pressure from a defender.

55' Middlesbrough are getting rare chances on the counter but it's 95% United and we're pressing desperately for a goal here.

56' MANCHESTER UNITED YELLOW CARD Blind takes out Traore near the halfway line and gets booked!

60' United with over 60% possession but, unfortunately, Middlesbrough are defending stoutly. Mata is readying to come on.

62' STOKE CITY SUBSTITUTION Ramirez ON || Downing OFF

63' MANCHESTER UNITED SUBSTITUTIONS Mata, Rojo ON || Fellaini, Blind OFF

66' MIDDLESBROUGH GOAL The ball is played into the box and Negredo heads the ball down for Leadbitter who runs onto it and smashes it past De Gea into the bottom corner. Unbelievable.

71' MANCHESTER UNITED SUBSTITUTION Rashford ON || Smalling OFF

72' Rashford almost with an instant impact as he darts into the box and then squares the ball across the 6 yard box through bodies that no-one touches!

74' Mkhitaryan is taken out by a high boot on the edge of the box but nothing is given. How is that different to the Ibra disallowed goal? Oh I know. One was actually a foul and one wasn't. I wonder which was given.

77' MIDDLESBROUGH SUBSTITUTION Clayton ON || Leadbitter OFF

78' Rashford beats Bernardo in the box and is bundled over and there's no foul given for a penalty. This is shocking from the referee.