Leicester bolster Champions League hopes with bounce-back win at United
Manchester, United Kingdom, May 11, 2021 (AFP) - Caglar Soyuncu's second-half goal saw Leicester beat Manchester United 2-1 on Tuesday in a result that confirmed Manchester City as Premier League champions and strengthened the Foxes' bid for a place in the Champions League.
Luke Thomas put Leicester ahead in the 10th minute at Old Trafford but the visitors' lead lasted just five minutes, with Mason Greenwood equalising for United.
But Turkish defender Soyuncu's 66th-minute header settled the match in Leicester's favour and eventually sparked title celebrations at United's local rivals.
Defeat left second-placed United 10 points behind City, with only a maximum of nine available to the Red Devils from their three remaining league games this season.
For Leicester, it meant the Midlands club leapfrogged Champions League finalists Chelsea into third place, although the Blues have a game in hand, with the top four at the end of the Premier League season guaranteed a place among Europe's elite next term.
United manager Ole Gunnar Soskjaer, faced with a schedule of three games in five days, had promised to rotate his squad.
And the Norwegian was as good as his word, making 10 changes to the side that beat Aston Villa 3-1.
Greenwood was the only United player to retain his starting position, with Leicester recalling Ayoze Perez and Thomas.
United defender Harry Maguire missed his first league since joining from Leicester in 2019 after suffering an ankle injury in Sunday's comeback win at Villa Park.
As rain lashed down upon Old Trafford, it was the visitors who took a 10th-minute lead thanks to a superb finish from Thomas, who volleyed a centre from Youri Tielemans back across goal and into the top right-hand corner.
United, however, have made a habit of coming from behind this season and it did not take them long to draw level.
Diallo beat Thomas on the right and played the ball inside to Greenwood, whose own neat footwork then allowed him to shoot low past Kasper Schmeichel, the son of United goalkeeping great Peter.
Leicester, however, regained the lead midway through the second half when Soyuncu jumped above Nemanja Matic and met Marc Albrighton's corner with a powerful header high into the net.