September 14th 2024.
Matthijs de Ligt had a standout performance for Manchester United in their match against Southampton. There were concerns that he may have sustained an injury towards the end of the game, but he has since reassured everyone that he is okay.
The Dutch international had a rough couple of weeks during the international break, facing harsh criticism for his performances against Bosnia and Germany. However, his coach Erik ten Hag showed faith in him and it paid off with an impressive display in United's defense. De Ligt even scored his first goal for the club, making it a memorable game for him.
But things could have gone differently if Southampton had taken advantage of their early dominance. They were awarded a penalty in the 33rd minute, but Andre Onana came to United's rescue with a save. Shortly after, De Ligt scored a header from a cross by Bruno Fernandes, adding salt to the Saints' wounds. Marcus Rashford also scored his first goal since March, securing three points for United before half time.
The icing on the cake was a goal from Alejandro Garnacho in injury time, just after De Ligt had been substituted. Unfortunately, there were some concerns for United's defense as Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire seemed to have picked up injuries. Ten Hag must have been relieved when he found out that De Ligt was only dealing with a bit of cramping.
When asked about his condition, De Ligt said, "I'm fine, I just had a little bit of cramp in the last five minutes. It's the first time in five months that I've played three games in a row. I wanted to stay on until the end, but the coach thought it would be better to take me off."
Despite facing criticism earlier in the week, De Ligt remained positive and focused on the game. He said, "Sometimes things don't go as well as you want, but you have to look at the positive side. I was happy to play one and a half games, it's been a while since I've had that much playing time. This is my third game in a week, and it's important for me to get into a rhythm and show what I can do."
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