Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
RASHFORD’S GOAL FEAST
Marcus fires 16-minute treble as United torment Germans
MARCUS Rashford smashed a sensational hat-trick after coming off the bench to give Manchester United control of their Champions League group.
He stole the show with a cameo appearance from Mason Greenwood who wrote a small chapter in Uni ted’ s glorious European n history.
Greenwood ,19, became the second youngest scorer in the club’s history in this competition n behind Wayne Rooney, as he produced a stunning finish to set United on the way to victory over the dangerous Red Bull Leipzig.
Playing in a wide role, as United operated without a recognised number nine, his crisp shot into the far corner was a fitting way to write his name in the club’s record books.
But it was after he departed that United ran ram pant, as Rashford replaced him, and tore the visiting side apart with his pace and laser-guided finishing, with three goals in the last 18 minutes while Anthony Martial scored from the spot.
Rashford’s first was initially ruled offside as he ran from the halfway line, withVAR even eventually showing he was in fact in his own half, while the second was a whipped shot across goal after two stunning turned poor Dayot Up a me ca no in inside out.
The hat-trick was completed in stoppage time when Rashford blasted home after good work from Martial who cut in from the left.
Martial had added to Leipzig’s misery four minutes from time, when he was tripped in the box by a desperate lunge from Marcel Sabitzer, and jumped up to c onv er t from the spot himself. The vagaries of VAR is the most consistent story this season, and perhaps Leipzig were the aggrieved party, as Greenwood’s goal looked the naked eye as though he had strayed offside.
Unlike the recent controversies in the Premier League, at least the Champions League officials offered the benefit of the doubt to the striker.
Th ey did that too with Rashford, and his line call .
Greenwood deserved that luck too. He has come in for some criticism with his antics on England duty and suggestions of other discretions, and he has also come in for some benchwarming.
Whatever, he had a point to prove, and he did it spectacularly with a fine finish, after superb work from Paul Pogba in running from deep to release the young forward.
The angle across the goal from the teenager was deadly, beating the Leipzig keeper down to his left. The home side needed it too, after a subdued opening to the game, where Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s surprise team selection, with five changes, seemed to confuse them more than the Germans.
It was the formation which appeared to confuse, Donny van den Beek given his first significant start – outside the EFL Cup – in a false nine role, with Greenwood and Martial out wide. Perhaps that led to caution from both teams, and the action areas from the first hour suggested as much, with both teams camped in midfield.
Leipzig offered little threat, only Christopher Nkunku breaking the shackles to escape into the box, but his fierce shot at the near post was comfortably dealt with by David de Gea.
Greenwood almost doubled his European tally with a fine burst into the right of the box, only to see his ferocious drive stopped at the near post by visiting keeper Peter Gulacsi.