82′ It’s anyone’s game here, now. Both sides look like they could score another.
81′ Rathbone comes off and is replaced by Andrew.
79′ And suddenly, the Rochdale fans rank up the volume another notch. They are loving it inside Old Trafford now!
L. Matheson
Goal
76′ GOAL! WOW! Rochdale equalise and it is the 16-year-old Matheson who scores! The ball makes its way out to the left and a cross from Rathbone close to the byline is deflected high into the air and over the heads of seemingly everyone. Not Matheson, though. As the ball comes down from the air, it bounces and the youngster races onto it with lots of momentum, beating Pereira to the ball and he drills the ball down into the ground. It bounces up and it is in the net before Tuanzebe on the line can react! 1-1!
O. Rathbone
Assist
76′ Rathbone must have thought the chance was gone when his deflected cross spiralled high into the air. But no, up steps Matheson to drill it home.
A. Wilbraham
S. Dooley
74′ Wilbraham comes on to make his first appearance of the season for Rochdale as he replaces Dooley.
74′ HIGH AND WIDE! Morley takes a touch which allows him to open up his body and he fires a shot towards goal but it is high over the bar.
B. Williams
Yellow Card
72′ Williams is the first man to go into Brooks’ book tonight, as he commits to a rash challenge on Matheson just outside the Rochdale penalty area.
70′ That has sprung Rochdale into life and they are now pushing higher up the field to try and get the equaliser. You get the feeling that that move could end up causing them problems in the end, though, as space opens up for the hosts. But Barry-Murphy’s side have nothing to lose at this rate.
M. Greenwood
Goal
68′ GOAL! United take the lead and it’s Greenwood who gets the goal! Dooley gives the ball away in their own half and it comes to Lingard in the visitors’ box, who passes to his right to the striker. Greenwood then cuts inside and finds half a yard of space away from McNulty, and he fires a powerful shot to the right of Sanchez which the keeper cannot keep out this time. 1-0!
J. Lingard
Assist
68′ That was good awareness from Lingard. He receives the ball inside the box and could have had a pop himself, but he saw Greenwood in space and picked out the youngster who finished brilliantly.
66′ It’s all United now as they keep trying to knock on the door. James has added a different dimension to the attack and has made a real difference down the right for Solskjaer’s side.
64′ United are definitely the stronger of the two sides but Rochdale have definitely shown that they can cause their opponents serious problems when given the opportunity to do so.
62′ BEATEN AWAY! James is involved straight away as he breaks away down the right. He is followed by Greenwood, who switches his run and goes to the outside of his teammate after initially going down his inside. James passes to Greenwood on his right and the 17-year-old forces a powerful shot towards goal but Sanchez gets a strong hand to it.
D. James
T. Chong
60′ United make their second change of the evening, and it’s an attacking one as James comes on for Chong.
60′ CLOSE! A ball is played in from the left for United and Rathbone attempts to clear it but instead hooks the ball back the other way into the path of Lingard, who, on the turn, strikes it towards goal on the half-volley but his shot from the edge of the area is wide.
58′ United are beginning to press again and Greenwood has the ball inside the Rochdale box, but Keohane sticks brilliantly to his task and draws a foul from the 17-year-old.
56′ The tempo of the game has really stepped up now and it isn’t all United. The visitors are having a go and are more than holding their own at Old Trafford.
54′ United are now almost in, as Wan-Bissaka gets a yard or two ahead of his man and swings in a lovely cross from the right. Greenwood makes a run to the near post and gets a right foot to it, but his effort is straight at Sanchez who beats it clear.
53′ OFF THE LINE! Wan-Bissaka clears off the line as Rochdale are inches away from taking the lead! Matheson does really well down the right and squeezes the ball into Rathbone inside the six-yard area. Rathbone then cuts it back to Camps, who was arriving at pace and hits it towards goal with the United defence scrambling. Wan-Bissaka is there to hook it clear though! What a chance!
52′ JUST WIDE! Lingard passes it to Pereira on the left side of the pitch just outside the box and the midfielder tries a shot. It is deflected and goes just wide of the post.
50′ United are dominating, but Rochdale are defending really well. This time, Morley nicks the ball off Chong, who was lining up a cross into the box from just outside the area on the right.
49′ The second half has started in much the same way the first was played, with United seeing a lot of the ball and dominating in the Rochdale half.
48′ United – who went out in the EFL Cup third round last season to Derby County – haven’t failed to progress past this stage of the competition in consecutive years since going out in the third round in 1994-95 and second round in 1995-96. You get the feeling that the longer it stays 0-0, the more confident Rochdale will get of causing an upset.
46′ United kick us off for the second half. Here we go!
B. Williams
P. Jones
45′ Jones is replaced at half-time by Brandon Williams, who was named on the bench for the first time tonight and comes on for his senior United debut.
Rochdale will be delighted that they have managed to get to the break on level terms considering the amount of pressure they were put under for long periods of that first 45. You would expect more of the same in the second half, though, and it will be a real test of Rochdale’s credentials to withstand another half of constant attacks.
Well, Manchester United should really be in front at half-time based on the chances they’ve had. Pogba missed a header from point-blank range and Lingard has also headed over, while Greenwood has had a shot saved by Sanchez, who has been good in the Rochdale goal. As for the visitors, they looked sharp in the opening 20 minutes but since then it has been all United.
45′ + 1′ HALF-TIME: MANCHESTER UNITED 0-0 ROCHDALE.
45′ Rochdale are really defending deeply now, looking to hold out until John Brooks blows his half-tme whistle. That should be that, too, as Rojo drills a shot from outside the box but it is low and goes wide of Sanchez’s left post.
43′ OVER THE BAR! Fred receives the ball on the right-hand side and crosses the ball into the area, where Lingard jumps to meet it. The Englishman gets good contact on it but it goes just over the bar.
41′ If Rochdale can hold out until half-time, they will be mightily pleased. They haven’t played especially bad in this first 45.
39′ CHANCE! Greenwood is denied by Sanchez! Rochdale are sloppy in midfield and Pogba nicks the ball off Williams, before it is played out to Greenwood, who had made a great run down the right. He is one-on-one with the keeper to the right of the goal and the striker tries to put the ball into the near post but Sanchez beats it away.
38′ Apart from a few little spells of pressure from Rochdale – which United have snuffed out so far – the home side have dominated and they look like they could score a goal very soon. One before half-time would be good for the hosts.
36′ Fantastic effort from Matheson – who is only 16 years of age by the way. He takes a long touch and outpaces his man down the right-hand flank before sending a cross in, but it doesn’t have much on it and it is collected by Romero. Matheson has been one of Rochdale’s best players in this half.
34′ OVER! Well, that looked harder to miss for Pogba. Greenwood sends a wonderful ball into the box from the right, over the head of Morley, and Pogba is unmarked and has a free header about six yards out. He has all the time in the world to direct it but he heads it over the bar when the goal was gaping. That should be 1-0.
32′ United are really starting to apply the presure now. Pogba is getting involved all over and is a key part of all that has been good about Solskjaer’s side so far.
30′ JUST WIDE! Pogba has the ball to the left of the box about 30 yards out and he swings a cross in to the back post where Pereira tries to get his head to it. He doesn’t, but actually if it had been a shot it might have gone in as Sanchez was rooted to the spot, not wanting to dive in case it was headed and he wasn’t going to get there.
28′ United now have a corner after Rojo’s shot is deflected out and as it is swung in from the right, Rojo jumps highest and gets a clean head on it but it is a slow header and Sanchez can watch it trickle wide of his right-hand post.
26′ SAVED! Well, from that United corner, Rochdale were exposed massively. Chong breaks away down the pitch and has options to his right and left, with the defenders backtracking. He goes right to Pereira, who lofts a ball to the back post where Rojo arrived. He headed the ball down into the ground and as it bounced up, Sanchez got a good hand to it to beat it away. Close!
25′ Rochdale have a corner, here, though. It comes as Rathbone receives the ball down the right and tries to cross into the box before Wan-Bissaka blocks the ball out of play.
24′ Once again, the game is now being played entirely in Rochdale’s half, with United’s centre-backs on the halfway line. There are fewer opportunities arising for the visitors to make anything going forward.
22′ Matheson controls a pass played across the pitch really well and cuts inside Rojo, but Rathbone then receives the ball and tries a flick through his feet which ends up at Tuanzebe’s feet.
20′ That’s another good idea from Pogba but it doesn’t quite come off. The Frenchman spots Chong making a run down the left and he tries to send his teammate a throughball, but it has too much on it.
19′ United have a flurry of attempts on the Rochdale goal and they are beginning to turn the screw a little bit. Initially, Chong gets in again down the left and fires a dangerous cross into the area which Sanchez has to punch clear. It comes out to Pereira, who tries his luck, before his shot and another from Fred are both blocked easily.
17′ Rochdale haven’t come close at all really to threatening United at the other end. The closest they have come might be now a few moments ago, as the ball is played into the box looking for Camps. It has too much on it, though, and Romero collects easily.
15′ That was a hairy moment for Rochdale. They are trying some fancy – and risky – passes inside their own box and Sanchez has to come out and hack it clear. It comes out to Pogba, who tries to curl it in but his effort is high and wide over the bar.
14′ Greenwood makes a great run and is fed by a lovely throughball from Pogba, but the striker wants too much time on the ball when he receives it on the right of the box and Matheson wins the ball back.
13′ That was a good chance for United, and poor marking from Rochdale. Fred has the ball about 40 yards out to the right of the box and he gets his head up before picking out Pogba, who was onside and not picked up, inside the box with a lofted pass. The Frenchman heads down into a dangerous area but none of his teammates are there to get onto the end of it.
11′ While United are having most of the possession and using it in the Rochdale half, they aren’t really using it well. Pereira has had two chances to whip a good ball into the box from the right and both have been wasted.
10′ Rochdale haven’t gone beyond the League Cup third round since finishing runners-up in the 1961-62 season as a fourth-tier side. What an occasion to make history this would be.
9′ When United have the ball, their defensive line is on the halfway line and Rochdale are sat very deep. Give the visitors the ball, though, and they are quick to try and get players forward and start a counter-attack.
7′ Well, there is a bit of sloppy play from United and Rochdale were almost in. The Red Devils weren’t aware in the middle of the park and Rathbone picks their pockets, but Tuanzebe is alert and wins the ball back before Rathbone can pass to his right.
6′ Chong is picking up a lot of the ball on the left of that attacking midfield trio for United, but he is marhsalled well by Dooley on this occasion.
5′ That’s a nice bit of attacking play from Chong. He picks up the ball on the left edge of the box and drives his way to the byline before trying to hook a cross into the box but his effort is slow and across the floor, allowing Sanchez to collect at his near post.
4′ The Old Trafford stands aren’t packed out to the rafters for this one tonight, but the home fans are still making some noise throughout the ground.
3′ United are enjoying lots of possession inside the Rochdale half but Rathbone does well to intercept about 40 yards out. The visitors try to drive forward but the assistant on the far side raises his flag for offside.
2′ United try to make their first attack of the game as Tuanzebe fires a pass upfield for Greenwood to chase, but Sanchez collects. It’s been a slow start to the game from both sides.
1′ Rochdale kick us off for the first half. Here we go!
The players are making their way out onto the pitch, so kick-off should not be too far away.
Perhaps surprisingly, these two sides have only met once before. That match came in January 1986 in the FA Cup third round, with United winning 2-0 at Old Trafford.
As for Rochdale, Barry-Murphy opts for a 4-5-1 formation with one change coming in defence as Keohane replaces Eoghan O’Connell. Dooley and Camps keep their places in midfield, as does Henderson up top. Aaron Wilbraham, who was back on the bench for Saturday’s loss to Fleetwood, is named as a substitute again.
United make nine changes from the side that lost to West Ham. Pogba has recovered from an ankle injury and starts in midfield, but Tuanzebe is handed the captain’s armband. Romero comes in for David de Gea between the sticks, while Tuanzebe, Jones and Rojo enter the defence. In midfield, Lingard and Chong start while Greenwood, who missed Sunday’s game due to tonsillitis, earns a place up top.
SUBS: Jimmy Ryan, Peter Thomas, Fabio Tavares, Lewis Bradley, Calvin Andrew, Jay Lynch, Aaron Wilbraham.
ROCHDALE (4-5-1): Robert Sanchez; Luke Matheson, Aaron Morley, James McNulty, Rhys Norrington-Davies; Stephen Dooley, M.J. Williams, Oliver Rathbone, Callum Camps, Jimmy Keohane; Ian Henderson.
SUBS: Victor Lindelof, Brandon Williams, Lee Grant, Scott McTominay, James Garner, Daniel James, Juan Mata.
MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): Sergio Romero; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Phil Jones, Axel Tuanzebe, Marcos Rojo; Fred, Paul Pogba; Andreas Pereira, Jesse Lingard, Tahith Chong; Mason Greenwood.
United come into this game following their 2-0 defeat to West Ham on Sunday, in which Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were heavily criticised for a lacklustre performance. The Red Devils will be looking to put things right with a win in the third round here. As for Rochdale, Brian Barry-Murphy’s men, who are 17th in League One, lost 2-1 to Fleetwood on Saturday and are winless in three matches coming into this one.
Hello and welcome to this live text commentary of the EFL Cup clash between Manchester United and Rochdale at Old Trafford.
C. Andrew
O. Rathbone