Manchester United made a dramatic second-half comeback to beat Southampton 3-1 at Old Trafford.
Amad Diallo grabbed the headlines by scoring a wonderful hat-trick. The young winger's finishing touch in the final 10 minutes turned things around for the hosts after a poor first half that left them trailing.
Southampton started brightly and deservedly took the lead in the 43rd minute.
A dangerous corner kick taken by Matheus Fernandez, taken by Tyler Debling, and Manuel Ugarte was only able to turn the ball into his own net under pressure.
The visitors dominated most of the first half, with Andre Onana making a dangerous save to deny Dibbling and Fernandes, ultimately keeping United in the game.
Alejandro Garnacho wasted a golden opportunity, with a side shot wide of the target after a pass from Rasmus Hoglund, and Anthony wasted one of the sitters shortly after the start of the second half, placing a simple shot into the hands of Aaron Ramsdale.
A late show ensures we get three points – and @AmadDiallo_19 He takes the match ball 🎩#MUFC || #Monso
– Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 16, 2025
But Diallo was the man who equalized the score in the 82nd minute.
Following a clever pass from substitute Joshua Zirkzee, the Ivorian blocked the first shot, but curled the rebound into the bottom corner with a calm touch.
The momentum then shifted completely in United's favor, and Diallo scored again in the 90th minute to give his side the lead.
Thanks to his high speed and intelligent interaction with Christian Eriksen, he was able to catch a perfect ball from the Danish player, which extended to score a wonderful goal against Ramsdale.
Old Trafford erupted as Diallo celebrated what appeared to be the winning goal.
Southampton pressed forward in stoppage time, hoping to salvage a point.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis went close from a corner kick, but his header hit teammate Flynn Downes and went wide.
Then, in the dying moments, the game is over. Ramsdale's poor pass put Harwood-Bellis under pressure, and Diallo pounced to intercept, shooting into an empty net for his hat-trick and the win.
It was an impressive performance from Diallo, who showed maturity and composure in a game where United were desperate for inspiration.
While the introduction of Eriksen and Zerkezy added creativity and presence, it was the young winger's finishing touch and relentless energy that turned the game on its head.
