Manchester United star Victor Lindelof put in a remarkable performance vs Leeds United which will certainly give Ralf Rangnick a selection headache.
The Swede was brought in for Raphael Varane in the 4-2 victory and it’s safe to say he’s certainly challenging for a starting XI spot.
Victor Lindelof’s game by numbers vs Leeds United:
100% aerial duels won (2/2)
84% pass accuracy
11 attempted long passes
7 successful long passes
9 ball recoveries
4 clearances
1 chance createdOutstanding performance. 🇸🇪🥶 pic.twitter.com/hV7HFeujw2
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) February 20, 2022
Lindelof appears to have gone up a level this season, with some fans even having called for him to replace Harry Maguire during various times.
The Englishman hasn’t been in the best of form this campaign and so some hoped to see the former Benfica man line up alongside Varane instead.
However, Rangnick opted to rest the Frenchman and started Lindelof alongside Maguire and both excelled despite the 4-2 scoreline.
Often accused of being too weak and passive, Lindelof won 100% of his aerial duels, made nine ball recoveries, and four clearances.
To add to it all, the centre-back showed off his ability on the ball, creating a chance, and completing an impressive seven out of 11 long passes.
Rangnick now has a difficult choice on his hands as he can select any of three of Maguire, Lindelof, or Varane and should have a trustworthy defence.
Eric Bailly is perhaps the only one who doesn’t have a true shot at a regular spot in the starting XI.
Given Varane’s proneness to injury, keeping Lindelof on board and happy might be crucial to United’s chances of success.
Rangnick can now rotate with peace of mind and has the kind of healthy competition he would have liked to see at United.