Blind is able to show Martial how it’s done
MANCHESTER UNITED are still not quite through to the next round of the Champions League and that means issues around the periphery of Jose Mourinho’s reign continue to attract attention. Here it was the question of who should take United’s late penalty — their second of the game — that aroused interest. Anthony Martial had missed one in the first half and was already off the field when Marcus Rashford earned another with 12 minutes left. Romelu Lukaku appeared keen to take it but, seemingly on the instructions of an angry-looking Mourinho, the ball was transferred to left-back Daley Blind. Mourinho, who gave Scottish midfielder Scott McTominay the full 90 minutes at Old Trafford, explained: ‘Anthony Martial was the player to take penalties. He took it and missed, he was not on the pitch for the second one. ‘The players were happy to take the responsibility, Romelu Lukaku and Ander Herrera but my choice was Daley Blind. That is my decision.’ None of this affected the result. United beat a spirited Benfica team and would have been through to the knockout stage with two games to spare had it not been for a CSKA Moscow comeback win in Basle. This was not a straightforward victory, in keeping with United’s recent form. Benfica were ambitious and dangerous and hit the post through Raul Jimenez with the score at 1-0 midway through the second half. Young Benfica goalkeeper Mile Svilar saved Martial’s penalty early on and made other good stops. But his luck was out in first-half stoppage time when Nemanja Matic’s low shot struck a post and then the keeper’s back before rebounding into the net. It was cruel on the Portuguese side and all of Benfica’s best play was coming off the back of intelligent running and quick, smart passes. Eric Bailly made a terrible error after the hour. He tried to pass the ball across his own penalty area to Chris Smalling but gave the ball straight to Jimenez. The Benfica forward was quickly closed down by Smalling but still squeezed a shot past David de Gea and saw it go behind off the post. That was as good as it got for Benfica. Soon after Rashford slalomed into the box from deep and was brought down. After a little fuss and some gesturing from Mourinho, Blind drove home the penalty. The Dutchman managed to do what Martial could not.