The Theater of Dreams
lived once again the hype of European football with a thrilling and close win
over a hardened and hungry FC Anderlecht, looking to play the role of spoilers.
After that heartbreaking
tie at Constant Vaden Stock Stadium in Brussels, after a last minute score to
end the game at one goal apiece and with the return match in Trafford to be the
decisive one.
With the home field advantage,
the Red Devils Manager Jose Mourinho sent a whole armada in his initial eleven
that this match meant the world for them, considered in the eyes of many experts
as the overall favorites to win it all.
As Sergio Romero got the
nod to start under the posts, instead of De Gea, the Andean has been winning
his boss attention and trust to be his starting man in this type of competitions.
Still it don’t come
easy for this squad seeing a revival under their new man at the helm in the
Portuguese that so far is shaping them into contenders and despite not
contending for the league top, their aims to win Europa League are very open.
By sending his usual
4-2-3-1 formation with a lone Ibramovic in the attack but accompanied in the
back by a trio of aces in Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford and Henrik Mkhitaryan
who was the author of the goal in Brussels.
One thing, the visiting
purple and White did come to play and put a full press in the get go from an
obstinate Rene Weiler that in every minute made the locals pay a prize and
getting them to get a hard sweat.
That was no excuse
for the Armenian who fought his way in the defensive backfield for the Belgium
Boys, who were careful in every move done by United players until that tenth
minute, when Mkhitaryan broke the overall deadlock.
As the Europa specialist
as many commentators call him, his goal became a sort of relief for Mou and company,
still with arrivals from Lingard and Pogba near miss and clearance by
Anderlecht keeper Ruben.
For the Mauves et
Blancs in the first half constant menacing and close calls for United keeper
Romero, as Leander Dedoncker opened up the hostilities with a 50 yard volley
that just combed the posts of the Argentine.
Very well this with
luck on his side, Romero endured the fury and hunger from shoots from Frank
Achemapong and once again Leander Dedoncker making his presence felt with a near
shoot.
At the start of the second
half, we saw a passive but fighting United, it’s when the visitors started
their push towards the United posts and looking forward to the equalizer that
could send this match into Overtime.
Until that fatidic
paly that silenced a whole of Old Trafford, when Youri Tielemans near the area
sent a rifle of a shoot that hit the upper wood, it is when an opportune Sofi
Hanni took care of the rebound to send it into the back of Romero’s nets.
With a game tie,
Mourinho made his moves and despite the grim performance in the field by Ibra
whom he tough he was going to be his frontal and main man in the attack at the
end the push and drive from one man who rose to the occasion.
After a match ended
up even, its came the sudden death minutes and both squad’s defenses holding
their grounds and showing a stingy attitude in both sides, it’s when the nail bitter paly came to a static Ibra and
the ball bouncing to Marcus Rashford feet.
Here this Manchester
prodigy took matter into his own and with a nice kick and showing off a mature
stance to score in the 107 minute the go-ahead goal and game winner that
enables his squad to advance into the semifinals stages.
Now to wait between
other finalists of whom will the Manchester Boys play in Spain’s Celta de Vigo,
Netherlands Ajax and France Lyon, as quarters were tough, imagine the
semifinals.
Post Contents and Property of Fern
Mc Costigan © Copyright All Rights Reserved
Photos Credit and Property of © Ian
Hodgson, and Getty Images 2017
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