The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
EUROPA LEAGUE: UNITED EASE PAST LASK TO BOOK PLACE IN EIGHT-TEAM MINI TOURNAMENT
SPOT-ON: Anthony Martial came off the bench to net the winner as United won 2-1 on the night and 7-1 on aggregate, sending them into the quarter-finals.
Substitute Anthony Martial secured Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s underwhelming side a comeback win against LASK on a night when Manchester United’s progress to the Europa League quarter-finals was never in doubt.
Five months on from hitting five without reply in Austria, the sides belatedly resumed battle at an empty Old Trafford with the outcome of the last16 encounter all but certain.
LASK were far better than that night in March and Philipp Wiesinger’s stunner gave the fans back in Linz something to cheer about, but Jesse Lingard quickly levelled before Martial wrapped up a 2-1 win on the night and 7-1 triumph on aggregate.
A quarter-final clash with Copenhagen awaits in Cologne on Monday as attention turns to the final eight tournament, where Solskjaer will attempt to add silverware to this season’s third-placed league finish.
The United boss made nine changes from the 2-0 win at Leicester and few of those peripheral players called upon did themselves justice last night, particularly in a dire first half in which they did not manage a shot on target.
LASK had the better of the opening period and went ahead in the second half through Wiesinger’s beautiful curling effort.
But that lead was short-lived as Lingard fired his second in as many games, with substitute Martial tucking home his 23rd of the season late on after neat build-up play with Juan Mata. The Spaniard grew into the game having uncharacteristically mistimed a cross to an open Odion Ighalo just four minutes in – a moment that set the tone in the first half. Harry Maguire’s presence at corners was the biggest threat for the hosts, while LASK displayed hunger without the requisite quality in front of goal.