Man Utd 5-2 Leicester: Ruud van Nistelrooy gets off to winning start in Carabao Cup

Manchester United responded to Erik ten Hag's sacking by thrashing a weakened Leicester side 5-2 to reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals in a convincing first game for interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Poor finishing was to blame for Sunday's defeat to West Ham, Ten Hag's final match, but United rediscovered their confidence in front of goal under Van Nistelrooy, helped by Steve Cooper making nine changes ahead of Leicester's trip to Ipswich in the Premier League.

Casemiro lifted a sombre Old Trafford with a corker of a shot from distance, opening the scoring by firing the ball right into the top corner. Alejandro Garnacho quickly followed that up as he doubled United's lead, smashing in from Diogo Dalot's cross off the right.

Bruno Fernandes, without a goal before this game, scored twice on the night, his first was a free-kick, helped in by a deflection four minutes after Leicester pulled oe back through Bilal El Khannouss. Casemiro then pounced on a rebound to add his second soon after.

Fernandes' second strike was another timely intervention with United on the back foot after Conor Coady pulled a goal back in first-half stoppage-time. The United captain rounded Leicester goalkeeper Danny Ward, before firing in from close-range.

United, winners of the Carabao Cup under Ten Hag in 2023, showed no sign of letting the speculation around prospective new manager Ruben Amorim distract them, keeping up their impressive cup form. Leicester, meanwhile, clearly have other priorities.