Soler power but gloom for Jones
spell. Chalov struck for the first in brilliant fashion, beating keeper Thibaut Courtois with a shot into the corner of the net. Then, with just two minutes remaining before the break, Courtois made a sharp save, only for Schennikov to bundle in the rebound.
Solari reacted by sending on Bale at the break but there was a scare for Real when the Welshman crashed to the ground clutching his right ankle.
He continued after treatment but he did not look comfortable, and a hobbling Bale mirrored Real’s fortunes as CSKA put the issue beyond doubt with a third goal when Sigurdsson swept the ball home 17 minutes from time.
In the Czech Republic, Viktoria Plzen’s Tomas Chory said his winning goal – after Roma’s Cengiz Under had cancelled out Jan Kovarik’s opener – was the most important of his career. “I have to admit that when the ball went in, I felt like crying for joy,” he said. PAUL POGBA did nothing to restore Jose Mourinho’s faith in him as Manchester United were humbled by Valencia.
The French star was restored to the starting line-up after being benched for the last two games. But Pogba did nothing to dispel the belief that he will be back on the bench on Sunday at Liverpool.
And with Juventus slipping up at Young Boys, victory here against a struggling Valencia side currently 15th in La Liga would have seen United through as group winners, with ostensibly easier opponents in the last 16.
With the trip to the Premier League leaders in mind and his side’s place in the last 16 assured, Mourinho had undertaken a big reshuffle.
The United manager made eight changes from the side who beat Fulham 4-1 on Saturday, with only Phil Jones, Juan Mata and Romelu Lukaku keeping their places.
Sergio Romero was handed his second start of the season in goal.
United’s £52million summer signing Fred, who has struggled to justify his fee, and fellow midfielder Andreas Pereira, who has been on the margins, were also handed rare starts in what was effectively a dead-rubber.
All eyes, though, were on Pogba. And there was little urgency or intensity about United early on, their lacklustre approach giving
PWDLhome side who started with greater purpose, their efforts rewarded with the opening goal after 17 minutes – the 10th time in 15 games this season that United have conceded first.
Jones failed to clear with a weak header that fell to the feet of Carlos Soler, a 21-year-old midfielder who has been linked with a move to United.
Soler was not closed down and afforded enough time to compose himself before picking his spot and drilling a low, angled shot past Romero. It was a deserved lead and it served to rouse United from