Manchester United beat Rangers 2-1 in an entertaining Europa League clash at Old Trafford.

Bruno Fernandes’ late strike sealed victory in dramatic fashion under the lights at the Theater of Dreams, after the visitors had leveled minutes earlier.

The match opened with United enjoying the lion’s share of possession, but Rangers proved dangerous on the counter.

Alejandro Garnacho threatened early on, weaving past defenders, but his effort was comfortably saved by Jack Butland.

Rangers, despite limited time on the ball, created promising chances, with Ridwan Yilmaz forcing Altay Bayandir’s headers and Nicolas Raskin’s header into a smart stop to deny Garnacho at the other end.

United thought they had taken the lead in the 24th minute when Matthijs de Ligt headed home from a corner, but a foul in the build-up saw the goal disallowed.

Bruno’s late winner takes all three points! ➕3️⃣#MUFC || #UEL

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 23, 2025

Both sides continued to trade chances, with Rangers’ Cyril Dessers looking sharp and Amad Diallo testing Butland, but the first half ended goalless.

In strange circumstances, the deadlock was broken early in the second half.

In the 52nd minute, Butland, who had been excellent otherwise, made a costly error, misjudging Christian Eriksen’s corner kick and sending the ball into his own net.

United seemed to take control after this, creating several chances to extend their lead. Garnacho hit the near post, and Harry Maguire missed a free header from another Eriksen set-piece.

However, the Rangers refused to fold. Philippe Clement’s side switched to a more attacking setup, and it paid dividends late on.

In the 88th minute, James Tavernier delivered a stunning long pass to Dessers, who controlled it superbly before firing past Byindir into the bottom corner, sending the traveling fans into a frenzy.

As the game looked headed for a draw, the United captain stepped up in the dying moments.

After Rangers’ attack collapsed, United went ahead. Lisandro Martinez delivered a perfect cross from the left and Fernandes burst into the box to hammer a low shot past Butland in the 92nd minute.

It was Fernandez’s first goal in this season’s Europa League and a fitting way to mark his 50th appearance in the competition.

The win lifted Manchester United to fourth in the Europa League table, keeping their hopes of qualification alive, while Rangers sit 13th, rueing missed opportunities and a moment of brilliance from the United skipper.