Rashford gives edge to Utd
Marcus Rashford was decisive again, scoring from a freekick in the second half for Manchester United to beat Celta Vigo 1-0 in the first leg of the Europa League semifinals yesterday.
Rashford, who netted an extratime winner against Anderlecht in the quarterfinals, drove a rightfoot strike over the wall and into the far left corner in the 67th minute, securing United the advantage going into the second leg in Manchester next week.
‘‘It’s a positive result that leaves us with the advantage, but it’s a small advantage,’’ said United coach Jose Mourinho, who also praised Rashford.
‘‘He’s very mature and let’s forget the age because it’s not the age, it’s the quality.’’
The Europa League is the only European club competition United have yet to win. It also gives United a good chance of returning to the Champions League, as they sit in fifth place in the Premier League.
Celta, playing in their first major European semifinal, lost for the first time in their last six European games. ‘‘We are going to have to go there and score goals,’’ Celta coach Eduardo Berizzo said. ‘‘We play in a similar way at home and away, we will try to be more effective than we were today.’’
Rashford made the trip to Vigo by nearly 1,000 United fans worthwhile. Celta goalkeeper Sergio Alvarez took a couple of small steps the other way just before the teenage striker took his free kick, and wasn’t able to come back in time to make the stop.
United had most of the significant chances with Alvarez making three great saves in the first half to keep them scoreless.
The first was a spectacular onehanded dive to stop a curling shot from Rashford from going into the top corner in the 20th. Alvarez then charged from his net in the 35th to make a leg save that prevented Henrikh Mkhitaryan from finding the net after entering the area free of markers, and four minutes later the goalie deflected a close-range shot by Jesse Lingard.
United goalkeeper Sergio Romero also had to come up with a difficult save, tipping a Pione Sisto shot over the crossbar in the 59th.
In the other semifinal first leg, Ajax defeated Lyon 4-1 in Amsterdam on Thursday.