MATIC IS UNITED'S MAN OF THE MATCH

Nemanja Matic was voted Manchester United’s Man of the Match by fans on Twitter after scoring a stunning late winner against Crystal Palace on Monday night.

The Serbian struck a sensational half-volley from distance in stoppage time to complete a remarkable turnaround for the Reds, who trailed 2-0 before emerging victorious in a five-goal thriller at Selhurst Park.
In a poll conducted on our official Twitter account @ManUtd, the midfielder perhaps unsurprisingly came out on top with an overwhelming 86 per cent of the final vote. Fellow goalscorer Romelu Lukaku (nine per cent) and half-time substitute Marcus Rashford (five per cent) were also nominated.
It’s the fourth time Matic has claimed the star-man accolade in his debut season at United so far, after also being named Man of the Match in the Reds’ 4-0 wins over West Ham and Everton, and the 2-1 triumph at West Bromwich Albion in December.
Matic didn’t just score a 30-yard thunderbolt but put in a fine all-round display in the engine room, completing 73 passes in the game – more than any other midfielder on the pitch.
Reacting to his first goal in a United shirt, the 29-year-old said: “I’m happy I’ve scored my first goal for Manchester United; I know it’s not my job but I’m glad it got us the three points.”
On the Reds’ impressive comeback victory, he added: “After the second goal it was very difficult for us to come back; we showed character and did exactly what the manager wanted us to do. In these kind of games, if we can manage to win we can compete for the title. The quality is there but we have to be honest: we need to do more.”
Reds boss Jose Mourinho, who worked with Matic in their second spell at Chelsea, pointed out it’s not the first time the midfielder has found the net from long range.
“He scored with Chelsea an amazing goal like this one at Goodison Park [against Everton],” he said. “He scored a winning goal in Lisbon in the Champions League against Sporting. He’s scored a few goals – not many – but he’s scored a few goals.
“This season against Benfica, it was half a goal for him and half a goal for the Benfica goalkeeper [Mile Svilar]. But it is a goal of two extra points.”
Matic is likely to be a key player for the Reds in a crucial run of three successive home games in three different competitions, starting with the visit of rivals Liverpool to Old Trafford on Saturday.
To celebrate Nemanja's Man of the Match award, enter our competition now for your chance to win a signed Matic shirt.