DEN FLOORS UNITED
Late Belgian equaliser takes Europa gloss off for Mourinho
HENRIKH Mkhitaryan bagged a crucial away goal but a late Anderlecht equaliser means that Manchester United still have work to do in their Europa League quarterfinal.
Rejuvenated Mkhitarayan’s 37th-minute goal looked to have given Jose Mourinho’s side a first-leg lead ahead of next week’s return at Old Trafford. But a bullet header from Leander Dendoncker in the 85th minute for the Belgians took the gloss off United’s display.
With United struggling to break into the Premier League top four, manager Mourinho has admitted that winning the Europa League is his team’s best chance of qualifying for the Champions League.
Mourinho’s men would have had a more comfortable cushion going into next week’s return had Jesse Lingard not seen a first-half chance come back off the post after Zlatan Ibrahimovic caused confusion in the Anderlecht penalty area chasing down a Marcus Rashford cross.
And £89million world record signing Paul Pogba spoiled a decent performance when the Frenchman also missed a good second half opportunity moments before Dendoncker struck which would have put United firmly in control of the tie.
HENRIKH Mkhitaryan is proving Manchester United’s talisman on their Europa League odyssey this season.
The Armenian international poached a vital away goal here last night to put them on course for the semi-finals.
The only blemish came with four minutes to go when Leander Dendoncker superbly headed in to level for Anderlecht – but United will be confident of finishing the job at home next Thursday.
Mkhitaryan has now scored in each of United’s last four away ties. The run started in Odessa against Zorya Luhansk back in December and continued against Saint-Etienne and then Rostov.
But last night’s 37th minute effort against Anderlecht could prove the most important.
Jose Mourinho had been complaining that he had not got a Javier ‘Chicarito’ Hernandez ‘fox-in-the-box’ type striker.
But Mkhitaryan was first to react when Marcus Rashford’s shot was parried by keeper Ruben, turning the loose ball home from a tight angle. He is now one short now of becoming the third United player this season to reach double figures in all competitions after Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Juan Mata.
The last time United played in this stadium was back in the autumn of 2000 when they lost a Champions League group game 2-1 with Polish-born Canadian international Tomasz Radzinski – just before his move to Everton – scoring twice.
He was the smaller part of a ‘little and large’ Anderlecht strike force that night with German giant Jan Koller. The good news for United is that another Polish striker Lukasz Teodorczyk – Anderlecht’s top scorer – was only fit enough for the bench.
But it did not stop the Belgian champions from making most of the early running and United had to survive some early scares.
Massimo Bruno mis-kicked when presented with a chance, Sergio Romero had to race out to deny Frank Acheampong, who then delivered a low cross that just eluded Kiese Thelin.
But with their first serious attack United nearly scored.
Ibrahimovic’s flicked effort from Rashford’s cross was blocked and, from the rebound, Jesse Lingard struck the post with a close range effort.
Anderlecht danger man Youri Tielemans showed the skills that have put Europe’s top clubs on alert and Mkhitaryan was booked for ending one of his runs with a cynical trip.
Mkhitaryan then started to display his own skills. His goal-