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| Manchester United moved to the top of their group thanks to Wayne Rooney |
THEY played The Jam’s ‘That’s Entertainment’ before kick-off at Old Trafford last night - and Manchester United took the hint.
The tempo was better, they created a stack of chances and yes, they finally scored a goal to quell the growing sense of mutiny among the crowd.
The relief on and off the pitch was palpable as Wayne Rooney ended 404 minutes of scoreless action with a vital winner.
The fact he drew level with Denis Law as the second highest scorer in the club;’s history would have been the last thing on his mind.
United just needed to score but looked as if they might draw a fourth successive blank as frustration levels reached a crescendo.
No-one was more relieved than Louis van Gaal whose decision to replace Anthony Martial with Marouane Fellaini in the second half with United desperate for a goal was met with a crescendo of boos and chants of “We’re Man Utd we want to attack.”
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| Wayne Rooney heads in Manchester United's winner |
But Rooney’s goal quietened the growing unrest on the terraces and the victory took them top of Group B.
A win in their next game against PSV Eidnhoven will put them through to the knockout stages.
Even before kick-off, the Stretford End were making it clear they wanted their team to attack. And United responded to the urgings of the crowd by making a positive start to a first half spent almost entirely in the CSKA half.
Significantly, there was more tempo to their passing and they got the ball in the penalty area far more often than in recent games.
Apart from a free-kick, Rooney did not manage an attempt on goal at Palace on Saturday but it took only three minutes for the United captain to go close.
His left-foot shot from Marcos Rojo’s cross may have flown a yard wide but it was an early statement of intent.
Jesse Lingard tried his luck from the edge of the box and was then beaten to Rooney’s through pass by keeper Igor Afinkeev who took man and ball prompting half-hearted appeals for a penalty.
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| Jesse Lingard's cross was put away by Wayne Rooney |
Van Gaal prefers to play Daley Blind in certain games because of his superb long-range passing and the defender underlined the point with a 50-yard delivery that set up a chance of Juan Mata, who could not get enough purchase on his shot which rolled harmlessly into Afinkeev’s clutches.
United continued create chances with the crowd warming to their efforts. Chris Smalling ducked under Rooney’s free-kick thinking a team-mate was better placed behind him but neither Martial or Rojo were close enough to convert.
Lingard and Rojo both squandered good chances in quick succession after finding themselves unmarked at the far post.
Mata’s trickery gave Ashley Young the chance to send a low cross through CSKA’s six-yard box and Lingard should have taken the shot first time on his left foot. But he cut back on to his stronger right and fired over.
Rojo was equally wasteful when his first time shot from Young’s cross flew well wide.
That was United’s eighth attempt on goal – more than in their previous three games - but the problem was none had troubled the goalkeeper and they reached half-time still lacking the killer touch and with their spell without finding the net stretched to six hours and 10 minutes.
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| Anthony Martial started more central for Manchester United |
Rojo was the culprit again when he wrestled away form his marker to give himself a free header from Rooney’s corner but steered his effort a foot wide in the second half.
Then Martial headed straight at Afinkeev headed from Rojo’s left wing cross. At least it was on target.
United were camped out again in the CSKA half but there was a concern when CSKA brought on danger man Seydou Doumbia, a striker with 16 goals in 20 Champions League games, a better strike rate than either Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Rooney was frustrated when Martial and then Lingard failed to pick him out as Untied broke away.
Bizarrely, when Van Gaal made a substitution he took off Martial and sent on Fellaini. It prompted a crescendo of boos from an increasingly frustrated crowd.
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| The result will have taken some pressure off of Louis van Gaal |
To be fair, United were trying their hardest but the goal just would not come. Rooney had a fair shout for a penalty when he had his shirt tugged.
After Memphis Depay had been introduced, Michael Carrick volleyed just wide.
United survived a huge let-off when David De Gea and then Smalling denied Doumbia.
But a minute later, Rooney ended United’s agony when he headed in from Lingard’s well-placed cross.
MAN UTD (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Young, Smalling, Blind, Rojo; Schweinsteiger (Herrera 89), Carrick; Lingard, Mata (Depay 74), Martial (Fellaini 66); Rooney. Goal: Rooney 79. NEXT UP: West Brom (h), Sat PL.
CSKA (4-2-3-1): Afi nkeev; Fernandes, Berezutski, Ignashevich, Schennikov; Werrbloom, Natcho (Doumbia 55); Tosic (Golovin 75), Dzagoev (Panchenko 85), Milanov; Musa. Booked: Schennikov, Wernbloom.
Referee: S Marciniak (Poland).
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