Ruud van Nistelrooy leads Manchester United to a 5-2 victory over Leicester in the Carabao Cup.

In a successful first game under interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, Manchester United responded to Erik ten Hag's dismissal by thumping a depleted Leicester team 5-2 to advance to the Carabao Cup quarterfinals.

Steve Cooper made nine changes before Leicester's Premier League trip to Ipswich, which helped United regain their confidence in front of goal under Van Nistelrooy. Ten Hag's final game, a loss to West Ham, was caused by poor finishing.

Casemiro opened the scoring with a corker of a long-range strike that went straight into the top corner, lifting a gloomy Old Trafford. Alejandro Garnacho promptly increased United's advantage by crashing in from a cross off the right by Diogo Dalot.

Four minutes after Leicester pulled back through Bilal El Khannouss, Bruno Fernandes, who had not scored a goal before this game, scored twice that evening. His first goal was a free-kick that was assisted by a deflection, and Casemiro quickly added his second after jumping on a rebound.

After Conor Coady pulled a goal back in first-half stoppage time, United fell down and Fernandes' second goal was another crucial intervention. The United captain fired in from close range after evading Leicester goalie Danny Ward.

United, who won the Carabao Cup in 2023 under Ten Hag, continued their stellar cup success and showed no signs of being sidetracked by rumours about potential new boss Ruben Amorim. Leicester, on the other hand, obviously has other priorities.

Van Nistelrooy: We were fortunate.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, interim manager of Manchester United:

"We scored several fantastic goals; Casemiro's first was a stunning strike. We were also rather fortunate, I must add.

Bruno's free kick is deflected and goes in after two posts, but it's the first one for him in a long time, so I'm thrilled for him that he's on the scoresheet twice.

"We have five goals, but we also generated a lot more larger chances against Brentford, Fenerbahce, and West Ham. It was a wonderful day since we suddenly had some luck on our side.

Cooper: Despite our dominance, we allowed United to harm us.
Steve Cooper, manager of Leicester City:

"We can't make the same mistakes we did," I told the lads. During many of the game's phases, we had total control. We gave United too many opportunities to harm us, and they have excellent players and are a counterattacking squad.

"You can see how completely dominant we were in the second half. After United failed to enter our half, we conceded a goal.

"I'm aware that this season will resemble tonight in that you make mistakes and suffer setbacks after doing some really fantastic things. However, we must ensure that we truly concentrate on achieving positive outcomes and experiences. It's always about the future.