WE NEILY DONE IT!
Lennon’s minnows give mighty United one hell of a fright
SUBS Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial saved Manchester United’s blushes in Cyprus and denied Neil Lennon a shock Euro success.
Omonia had only one win in their past 26 European games but the former Celtic boss had the minnows fired up as their effort and discipline saw them take a first-half lead.
Erik Ten Hag’s side rallied in the second half with Rashford netting twice and Martial also on target before the battling Nicosia men pulled a goal back to ensure a nervy ending.
Omonia boss Lennon: “We rode our luck a lot of times, we kept ourselves in the game with good goalkeeping and a lot of United missed chances. I didn’t expect us to score two goals.”
Will any of his players have regrets? He added: “Some of the players will, yeah.
“The first two goals we were too open. There were things we could have done better with ball retention. The gulf between the teams was there but I’m delighted with two goals.”
After Sunday’s 6-3 derby mauling at Manchester City, United needed a moraleboosting victory. But by halftime they were a goal down.
Ten Hag’s changes ultimately did the trick but the Dutch boss will be alarmed at the mistakes that once again forced United to come from behind in a game they should have won with relative ease.
There was to be no 700th club goal for Cristiano Ronaldo, United’s star man denied by Omonia’s keeper Fabiano and the woodwork. The 37-year-old cut a frustrated figure throughout, his failure to score leaving him visibly exasperated.
United laid siege to the Omonia goal in the first half but were unable to make the breakthrough – Ronaldo, Antony and Bruno Fernandes all squandering openings.
But Lennon’s side continued to nullify them, then took a shock lead with their first attack of the game in the 34th minute.
Tyrell Malacia was caught in possession by Bruno, the ball reaching Karim Ansarifard who lofted it beyond David de Gea.
Rashford made an instant impact with an exquisite curled finish eight minutes after the restart before Martial put United in front with a clinical finish in the 63rd minute.
Then Rashford put United 3-1 up, a simple finish from Ronaldo’s skewed effort in the 84th minute.
But United conceded a minute later, sub Nikolaos Panagiotou producing a sweeping finish.
Ten Hag said: “We started well then made an unnecessary mistake and had a really bad 10 minutes. We have to learn from it. You let the crowd get alive, you have to avoid that.
“We were too static and had to get behind. That is why we made the substitutions. They really had an impact.”