THREE AMIGOS LIFT OLE
Mason, Marcus and Martial fire United into knockout stage
SAY what you want about Manchester United, they are through to the knockout stage of the Europa League with very little fuss and two games to spare.
True, it had not been the most scintillating of campaigns until last night. But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer demanded ‘front foot football’ from his players and that’s exactly what he got as United responded with a vibrant attacking display to blow away the Serbs of Partizan Belgrade.
The competition has provided Solskjaer with a platform to blood his younger players and Mason Greenwood enhanced his burgeoning reputation with another well-taken goal.
Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford got the others — and it could have been substantially more.
This was an antidote to United’s impotence in front of goal this season, particularly in Europe. It shouldn’t go unnoticed either that they have yet to concede in four games in Group L.
Only AZ Alkmaar can overtake them now and that scenario is likely to have disappeared by the time the Dutch side come here in December with United’s next game against Astana in Kazakhstan at the end of the month.
Certainly if they can produce another attacking performance like this one.
United’s last two group games away to Partizan and Alkmaar had produced just one shot on target — a penalty from Martial in Belgrade — and they were determined to improve on that last night.
It contributed to a lively start in which both teams had the ball in the net inside four minutes, only for the efforts from Martial and Umar Sadiq to be ruled out for offside.
That was before Rashford squandered a hat-trick of chances in the opening quarter of an hour.
Two of them came courtesy of Aaron Wan-Bissaka crosses from the right as Rashford sent one shot flying past the far post and volleyed another high over the bar.
Juan Mata supplied the other, slipping the ball inside for the England striker whose first-time attempt was blocked by goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic at close-range.
Rashford is capable of stupendous goals like his winning freekick at Chelsea in the Carabao Cup last week, but his ability to gobble up more straightforward opportunities still needs improvement. Greenwood, on the other hand, has a coolness in front of goal that is reminiscent of his manager. He showed it by scoring the winner against Astana in September and did so again in the 21st minute.
In fairness to Rashford, he created it after receiving the ball from Scott McTominay 25 yards from Partizan’s goal.
Rashford’s sudden burst of pace seemed to catch Partizan off guard, as did the angled pass prodded through a ruck of players to the feet of Greenwood.
The 18-year-old could have gone for goal first time but instead chose to check back inside Slobodan Urosevic and send Stojkovic the wrong way with a shot inside the post.
‘I think Greenwood will eventually be a better goalscorerer than Marcus,’ former United favourite avourite Paul Scholes told BT Sport. rt.
‘If Marcus lacks anything ing it’s a little bit of composure re in front of goal. He is probably - a scorer of great goals rather than a great goalscorer.
‘But United have been excellent. As an attacking force it’s the best I’ve seen at Old Trafford for a long, long time. If there’s s
eyu one criticism it’s that they could have had four r or five.’
Solskjaer would have admired dmired Greenwood’s clinical finishh just as much as the selfless endeavour that led to the second goal in the 33rd minute.
The youngster succeeded in blocking Urosevic’s clearance and the ball fell for Martial who showed great footwork to evade Strahinja Pavlovic, Bojan Ostojic and Urosevic before slipping the ball past Stojkovic.
It was a reminder of just what the Frenchman can do when he puts his mind to it.
The second half was less than five minutes old when Rashford got the goal that had eluded him in the first period.
Mata floated a crossfield pass to Ashley Young who cushioned the ball to Rashford’s feet.
It was by no means the easiest chance United’s No 10 had been given all night but maybe that helped. He didn’t overthink the situation this time, just swung his left foot at it and despatched a first- time shot into the top corner.
Young and Fred both went close with free-kicks before the latter made way for James Garner to come on ffor hihis fifirstt appearance at Old Trafford.
Partizan sent on Zoran Tosic, who only made five appearances in total during his ill-fated spell at United a decade ago, and Young was booked for hauling back the substitute.
It was a rare moment of discomfort for United on a night when they answered their manager’s call to progress from the group stage and do it in some style.
MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): Romero 6.5; Wan Bissaka 7, Maguire 6, Rojo 6.5, Young 7; Fred 6 (Garner 63min, 6.5), McTominay 7 (Lingard 75, 6); Greenwood 7.5, Mata 7, Rashford 7 (Pereira 67, 6); MARTIAL 8. Subs not used: Grant, James, Jones, Williams. Scorers: Greenwood 22, Martial 33, Rashford 49. Booked: Young. Manager: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 8. PARTIZAN BELGRADE (4-4-2): Stojkovic 5; Miletic 6, Ostojic 5.5, Pavlovic 6, Urosevic 4.5; Natcho 6 (Tosic 60, 6.5), Zdjelar 5.5, Scekic 5, Asano 7 (F Stevanovic 70, 6); Soumah 6.5, Sadiq 6 (Ivanovic 86). Subs not used: N Stevanovic, Brezancic, Lutovac, Vujacic. Booked: Natcho, Pavlovic. Manager: Savo Milosevic 5. Referee: Mattias Gestranius (Fin) 7. Attendance: 62,955.