Sunderland, Manchester United (foto: Getty Images)
Manchester United missed the influence of Benjamin Šeško as Michael Carrick’s rotated side played out a disappointing goalless draw against Sunderland.
Manchester United looked far less dangerous without Benjamin Šeško as the Red Devils were held to a disappointing 0:0 draw away at Sunderland.
The match was played in the 36th round of the Premier League, but United already entered the game with their main objective completed after securing qualification for next season’s Champions League.
That allowed coach Michael Carrick to rotate his starting lineup heavily.
Several important names started on the bench or were left out completely, including Šeško, Bryan Mbeumo and Diogo Dalot.
The absence of the Slovenian striker was especially noticeable.
Šeško did not feature after suffering a knock in the previous match, and Carrick reportedly decided not to take any risks because the forward was not fully fit.
Without him leading the attack, United struggled badly to create rhythm or danger in the final third.
The first half was slow and lacked intensity, with neither team managing to establish real control of the game.
Sunderland generally looked more energetic and ambitious throughout the evening, but the home side failed to convert their chances.
A major reason for that was goalkeeper Senne Lammens, who delivered several strong saves to keep United in the match.
Carrick attempted to change the flow of the game later on by introducing fresh legs, including Patrick Dorgu and Mbeumo.
Even those substitutions failed to improve United’s attacking play significantly.
The visitors remained flat in possession and rarely looked capable of finding the breakthrough goal.
In the end, the match finished goalless, leaving United with a point but very little satisfaction from the overall performance.
Manchester United will now prepare for a home clash against Nottingham Forest in the next round, while Sunderland travel to face Everton.