United ease back into their ‘natural habitat’

Manchester United eased back into champions league life as Marouane Fellaini, Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford put Basel to the sword.

Last season was just the second time in 22 years that the three-time European champions were without a place at the continent’s top table, but May’s Europa League triumph brought a much-needed return.

United’s first Champions League match in 644 days ended in a straightforward Old Trafford victory as substitute Fellaini, inform Lukaku and substitute Rashford kicked off Group A with a 3-0 win over Basel. The only negative on United’s return to what manager Jose Mourinho calls their “natural habitat” was the injury to Paul Pogba, who left clutching his hamstring 19 minutes into his first game as captain.

Fellaini came on for the Frenchman and quickly underlined just why Mourinho leans on him so heavily, heading the hosts into a deserved lead during a first half which saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan hit the post.

Basel were unbeaten on their two previous visits to Old Trafford but the Swiss champions never looked like getting anything last night.

Lukaku’s first goal in the Champions League group stage early in the second half compounded matters for the visitors, who were unable to prevent substitute Rashford netting his first goal in the competition late on.