Manchester United bounced back from their FA Cup elimination with a 1-0 win over Rostov that sent them through to the quarter-finals of the Europa League. On a night where Paul Pogba struck the post yet again with a long range effort before having to be substituted with a muscle related injury, it was Juan Mata’s goal that sent the home side through in a close affair.
For all of United’s possession, their struggles with finding a finish continued on the night but a solitary goal was sufficient to see them through on aggregate. Here are the talking points from the game.
#5 Mourinho continues his tactical experimentation
Having played his most inscrutable United formation up till now on Monday – with almost six defenders at the back for large parts of the game – Mourinho continued with his tactical tweaks against Rostov. With three central defenders at the back, Blind and Valencia were employed as wing-backs on either side of Pogba and Herrera in midfield, and to great effect.
Valencia, in particular, enjoyed the freedom this game afforded to get past his man on several occasions although his crosses were often met by opposition defenders or diverted off target by team-mates. Mata and Mkhitaryan played between midfield and attack – with the latter making several runs past Zlatan to good effect but failing to find a finish.
#4 Mata makes the difference
Having taken no part in the FA Cup tie against Chelsea, Mata’s energy was apparent. The Spaniard linked up extremely well with the wing-backs as well as Mkhitaryan to produce the dominance that United displayed in the first half.
The intricate link-ups between the 28-year-old and the Armenian were delightful to watch and led to the latter firing his shot wide of the target on more than just a couple of occasions. When Mata found the net with a simple tap-in, he gave Zlatan his 17th assist in Europe since Aug 2011 – a number only beaten by Ronaldo with 20 of his own. His goal also ensured progress in a competition which Mourinho will now start taking very seriously if interviews are to be believed.
#3 Bukharov sparks life into Rostov but United hold firm
Aleksandr Bukharov, the goalscorer from the first leg came on as a second-half substitute for Rostov and had a massive impact on their game. Providing drive and a sense of purpose to their play, Bukharov transformed a Rostov side that had been completely dominated by the home side in the first forty-five to one that started making attacking forays of their own.
While he would see his own effort met with a stunning save and receive yellow for his overly eager participation, fans will hope it can spark some life into their league form as well. Currently well adrift of continental positions, they will be hoping to finish as close as possible to the second position they managed last season.
#2 Sergio Romero makes vital saves
In spite of having virtually nothing to do for most of the first half, and large periods of the second, Romero displayed excellent focus to shut Rostov out with a couple of stunning saves. With flash efforts threatening to light a fire under United’s hopes of winning this tournament for the first time, the Argentine rose to the occasion and ensured that the disciplined defensive performance from his side wouldn’t go unrewarded.
The most impressive was perhaps the reflex save from a Bukharov header where he palmed the ball away for a corner when it had almost passed him to creep towards the corner of the net, but the most vital was certainly his diving stop from Christian Noboa beyond the fourth minute of added time that prevented the game going into extra time. One that fatigued United will thank him for.
#1 Zlatan shows what United missed against Chelsea
An exquisite back heel flick to set up Mata for a tap-in was only the highlight of an all-round wonderful performance from Ibrahimovic up front for United. From holding the ball up to popping up in midfield and on the flanks, Zlatan’s freshness helped him show off all that he can still provide at the age of 35.
There was even a burst into the box, beating defenders for pace and drawing the ‘keeper out, but his shot over the diving Medvedev went well over the crossbar. Altogether, for all the pace that Rashford provided up front against Chelsea, there was still a Zlatan-sized hole in attack – one that United will eventually have to figure out how to plug.
