One Manchester United star has put on yet another fantastic performance during the international break, with Rúben Amorim’s influence on his playstyle becoming clear.
Manchester United’s March international break has seen several of their star players compete against each other as the Nations League reaches its climax and qualification for the 2026 World Cup gets underway.
Five United players took part in the two-legged Nations League quarter-final between Portugal and Denmark, with Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes besting club teammates Patrick Dorgu, Rasmus Højlund, and Christian Eriksen.
Elsewhere, Manuel Ugarte played on Tuesday evening as Uruguay drew with Bolivia, and Noussair Mazraoui started two games for Morocco in their wins over Niger and Tanzania.
Matthijs de Ligt was a last-minute call-up for the Netherlands but only played four minutes in the first tie, where he received a special commendation for his 50th international cap.
Mazraoui puts on “sublime” international performance
While many players have shown significant inconsistencies under Rúben Amorim so far this season, this is not the case for Mazraoui. The 27-year-old has been a revelation in Amorim’s back three, particularly at right centre-back.
Last week, Mazraoui was fantastic as he was awarded Man of the Match against Niger, and against Tanzania on Tuesday evening, he was once again brilliant with the ball at his feat.
The defender had 102 touches of the ball across his 90 minutes despite playing as a right-back in a back four. He completed 71 of his 74 attempted passes, 13 of which came as passes into the final third, and he created two chances on the night. He also completed four of his five attempted dribbles.
As for his defending, Mazraoui won his only attempted tackle and made two interceptions, one recovery, and was only dribbled past once across the game, winning seven of his 11 duels and two fouls in the process.
Amorim’s influence was clear
Mazraoui put in a “sublime” performance for Morocco, and Amorim’s influence on his game is becoming clear.
While the defender has been less effective when playing as a right wing-back, he has flourished both on and off the ball as a right centre-back. On multiple occasions, the player has had over 100 touches across a 90-minute performance, just like against Tanzania.
Mazraoui has become a key player in United’s build-up from the back three, particularly since Lisandro Martínez’s injury, with the 27-year-old stepping up into midfield on occasion to progress play and pass into the final third, with this particular talent evidenced against Tanzania with his 13 passes into the final third.
While Mazraoui was originally brought in as a solid right-back option under Erik ten Hag, the change in his role since Amorim joined Old Trafford is having a clear influence on his performances for both club and country, and the star defender is better for it.
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