Rooney performance is by the book
All-action display lifts United to crucial win
Manchester Utd Inigo Martinez (og 2) Real Sociedad
1 the number ferguson always felt guaranteed qualification for the last 16. In this troubled start to his tenure, it is a welcome position for David Moyes to find himself in.
ferguson talked about his relationship with rooney in his autobiography published this week but, after the game, the striker said he was not fazed by the comments. rooney said: “I haven’t seen him since he retired. I’m happy under the new manager. The new coach that has come in [has given me] a new lease of life, I really enjoy working under David Moyes.”
on the match, rooney said: “I thought we played some great football. we should have won the game three, four or five, but I’m happy we got the win, that’s most important tonight. we defended well, a clean sheet is always pleasing. we created a lot of chances and, on another day, we will take them and win the game more comfortably.”
Moyes was full of praise for his striker’s performance. He said: “He was absolutely terrific tonight, he was great. we just want top players like wayne to play well and he is playing well.”
Around the same time as ferguson was speaking in London on Tuesday, Moyes was at old Trafford explaining why rooney would not be affected by his former manager’s words. It was clear from the first whistle that the england man was intent on proving the truth of those words. The only thing wrong with united’s opener was that their no 10 was not credited with it. After cutting in from the left wing and weaving his way past three defenders before planting his shot against a post, rooney certainly deserved it.
Instead, the ball bounced back to Martinez, whose attempt to clear ended up in his own goal.
not long after that, rooney arrived with a perfectly timed run to meet rafael’s low cross. This time his first time shot went straight at Claudio Bravo, who grabbed hold of it gratefully.
when rooney set himself to meet Antonio Valencia’s cross with an overhead kick, memories of that sensational Manchester derby winner fired into the same goal in february 2011 came flooding back. unfortunately for rooney, he lashed it high into the spectators behind the goal.
The visitors began the second half brightly and Jonny evans hardly helped restore a sense of calm when he skidded a mis-hit clearance over his own crossbar.
rooney had a long-range effort saved and a penalty claim waved away in the final minutes, after which Kagawa hit the sidenetting. In the end though, it did not matter.
De Gea, Da Silva (Smalling 59), Jones, Evans, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Kagawa, Hernandez (Young 80), Rooney. Subs not used: Lindegaard, Nani, Buttner, Fellaini, Januzaj.
Bravo, C Martinez, Mikel Gonzalez, I Martinez, De la Bella, Vela, Zurutuza (Castro 75), Markel, Prieto (Pardo 68), Griezmann, Seferovic (Agirretxe 75). Subs not used: Zubikarai, Ansotegui, Cadamuro, Ros.
RCrISTIAno ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and franck ribery were in dominant form as goals flowed for some of europe’s top sides last night.
ronaldo continued his blistering start to real Madrid’s campaign when he struck twice in a 2-1 win over 10-man Juventus that put real firmly in charge of Group B.
ronaldo’s double took his goal tally to seven in three games this season, his first coming when he rounded Gianluigi Buffon and finished superbly from a tight angle in the fourth minute at the Bernabeu.
fernando Llorente levelled LAST NIGHT Bayer Leverkusen 4 Shakhtar Donetsk 0 Manchester Utd 1 Real Sociedad 0 LAST NIGHT Galatasaray 3 FC Copenhagen 1 Real Madrid 2 Juventus 1 LAST NIGHT Benfica 1 Olympiakos 1 Anderlecht 0 Paris SG 5 LAST NIGHT CSKA Moscow 1 Manchester City 2 Bayern Munich 5 Viktoria Plzen 0