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Former Manchester United star Angel Di Maria has delivered a timely reminder of his exquisite ability with a goal for Benfica in the UEFA Champions League. The Argentine winger scored directly from a corner-kick to help his side claim a 3-1 win over Red Bull Salzburg in their match.
Benfica were far from impressive in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League this season and were out of contention for a place in the knockout rounds. The Portuguese champions needed to defeat Salzburg comprehensively to keep their hopes of a place in the UEFA Europa League alive.
Angel Di Maria, who had an ill-fated spell at Old Trafford in the 2014-15 season, took it upon himself to open the scoring. The experienced forward, who rejoined Benfica from Juventus in the summer curled home an effort direct from a corner-kick after 32 minutes.
The 35-year-old attacker also spent time in France with Paris Saint-Germain, where his former teammate Marcin Bulka revealed his feelings about Manchester United. The Polish goalkeeper said to YouTube channel Foot Truck that the forward hated the club following his spell at Old Trafford, and has no good memories.
"Di Maria hates Manchester United. He has no good memory of the time he spent there. In fact, when something related to Manchester United appears on television, the channel quickly changes."
Di Maria featured 32 times for the Red Devils in his time there, scoring four goals and providing 12 assists for the club. He played under Louis Van Gaal, who preferred to play a 3-5-2 system, meaning there was no perfect fit for Di Maria in the system.
After Di Maria opened the scoring, Rafa Silva added a second and Arthur Cabral scored the third goal for them. Luka Sucic scored once for the Austrian champions as the match ended 3-1.
Manchester United facing same post-Fergie struggles
The exit of Sir Alex Ferguson from Manchester United has coincided with the club's struggles, as the club looks a different one from when he was there. The legendary manager retired in 2013, and the Red Devils have not won the league in the 10 years since then.
Manager Erik ten Hag has led the club to a new low, finishing bottom of his UEFA Champions League group with only four points. The Red Devils also conceded 15 goals in the six matches they played in the group stage, the most by an English side ever.
The fans have had very little to celebrate in terms of trophies, with the Carabao Cup their only piece of silverware since 2017.
