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There was no fairytale return for Memphis Depay as PSV Eindhoven came from behind to clinch a crucial victory in the opening fixture in Group B. Memphis scored on his return to his former stomping ground to give the visitors the lead after they lost Luke Shaw to a double fracture of the right leg, early in the first half.But the reigning Dutch champions levelled the score before the break, courtesy of Hector Moreno. And despite dominating possession and creating far more chances than PSV, United failed to score the decisive goal and it was the hosts who went ahead thanks to Luciano Narsingh’s diving header.Here are the major talking points from the game.
#1 Luke Shaw\'s injury overshadows the game
Sometimes football can be a very cruel game. After a disappointing start to his Manchester United career, Luke Shaw was starting to fulfil the potential that persuaded the Red Devils to make him the world’s most expensive teenager last season. But an injury that is likely to keep him out for the rest of the season has cut that promise short, again.
A rash challenge from Hector Moreno saw the Englishman’s right leg fracture just above the shin pad. It was a horrific injury which brought back memories of a young Aaron Ramsey breaking his leg at Stoke City.
Shaw, who has been one of the revelations of the season, has once again fallen foul to his rotten luck with injuries that has seen spend more time on the United treatment table than he would have liked. The tone of his manager’s voice in his post-match press conference was evidence enough of the seriousness of his injury and just how big a loss he will be for his side as they look to bounce back from their second defeat in three games.
#2 Manchester United left to rue missed opportunities
It is not often that teams thoroughly dominate games away from home, especially in the Champions League. So when you do, it is imperative that you make the most of it, because those days don’t come along too often. Instead of walking away from Eindhoven with a victory, Louis van Gaal was left bemoaning his side’s inability to finish their chances.
Despite having almost thrice as many shots as the home side, United lacked the cutting edge in front of goal and paid the price in the end. Unfortunately, that has been a recurring theme, which Van Gaal admitted as much when he said “It is the same game as against Swansea. We dominate the game, create chances but we are not finishing.”
If the Red Devils are to have any chance of bouncing back from this defeat, they need to start by finding the back of the net more frequently and with a much better accuracy.
#3 Juan Mata fails to seize the moment
There is one thing that has stuck out like a sore thumb in United’s season so far. And that has been the position occupied by Juan Mata. While few would begrudge the Spaniard a place in the side, the fact that he has had to play on the right wing when he has neither the pace nor the physique to get beyond the defender has puzzled one and all.
On Tuesday night, Mata had the perfect opportunity to show everyone just why he deserves to play as the no.10. Instead of taking that with both hands, he fluffed his lines. Not just in front of goal with his indecisive finishing, but also with some of his passing and his positioning.
For someone so adept at finding the perfect pass, Mata had a shocker of a game where he not only failed to find the target, but also his teammates as well.
#4 Manchester United\'s strength in depth laid bare
When you are chasing the game and are a goal down with time running out, the first thing you do as the manager is look at the bench for inspiration. In United’s case, Wayne Rooney’s injury meant that inspiration, especially in an attacking sense, was in short supply on the bench.
The sight of Marouane Fellaini, who clearly isn’t a striker, and Antonio Valencia, a shadow of his former self, limbering up near the touchline was evidence that despite all the money that had been spent, United are still no closer to building a squad to compete on all fronts.
While the lack of a recognised striker has made the headlines, the fact that there was little in the shape of creativity, is a sign that the club’s scatter-gun approach to transfers isn’t perhaps the best way to go about it.
#5 Group of opportunties
When the draw for the group came out, most Manchester United fans were pleasantly pleased. But after the first round of games, it is clear that nothing in Europe is as easy as it looks. While United will still expect to come out of this group, there is absolutely no guarantee that they will finish as the winners of the group.
Wolfsburg’s win over CSKA Moscow makes their trip to Old Trafford for the next round of games even more significant. Not only is it a must-win game for United, it also highlights just how far behind United have fallen even though they were only out of the Champions League for a single season.
Meanwhile, PSV Eindhoven, who were in Pot 1, could also give the two sides a run for their money in their away games and a tight finish can be expected come Matchday 6.
