FIVE-STAR UNITED
Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford (right) celebrates scoring his team’s third goal, his second, with Bruno Fernandes, during the UEFA Champions League Group H match between Manchester United and RB Leipzig at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester.
MANCHESTER, United Kingdom: Super sub Marcus Rashford scored a clinical second-half hat-trick as Manchester United ripped German league leaders RB Leipzig apart on Wednesday to seize control of their Champions League group.
Mason Greenwood looked like grabbing the headlines with his first-half strike but Rashford came off the bench to remind Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that he is the main man at Old Trafford.
He is only the second United player to score a hat-trick as a substitute after Solskjaer performed the feat against Nottingham Forest in 1999.
United, who endured a rocky start to their season, now have six points from two games after building on their impressive opening win against Paris SaintGermain.
Rashford and Bruno Fernandes were surprisingly left on the bench as United went in search of their first home win of the season.
They took the lead midway through the first half when Greenwood, 19, received a through ball from Paul Pogba
I think the manager wanted me to up the tempo. That for us means going forward. Marcus Rashford
and stroked the ball across Peter Gulacsi and into the far corner for his first Champions League goal.
The home side were put under pressure by Julian Nagelsmann’s team but substitute Rashford struck three times after coming on in the 63rd minute to put the result beyond doubt.
Anthony Martial also got in on the act, scoring a penalty on an outstanding night for the threetime European champions, who are now three points clear at the top of Group H.
“I think the manager wanted me to up the tempo,” said Rashford.
“That for us means going forward. There was definitely spaces there. We got Bruno and Paul (Pogba) on the ball. We looked dangerous throughout and that we could score every time we went forward.
“It was a real team performance. The ones who started did well and the substitutes did well too. We can’t ask for much more than that in terms of the attitude and the intent to go and kill the game off. It worked in our favour.” — AFP