MAN UNITED 1, FC ZORYA LUHANSK 0
Zlatan Ibrahimovic spared Manchester United the embarrassment of a second successive slip-up in the Europa League.
The Swede scored the only goal of the game as the Reds limped to victory against FC Zorya Luhansk at Old Trafford.
Zorya, the team that is second in the Ukrainian Premier League but have to play in exile in Odessa because of the conflict in the east of the country, looked as though they would pinch a point until Ibrahimovic’s intervention in the 69th minute.
And the fortuitous goal, his sixth for the Reds, was much in keeping with the game that will soon be erase from the memory as a spectacle.
Substitute Wayne Rooney’s miss hit shot into the ground looped up to Ibrahimovic to head from from almost on the goalline as he scored in Europe for a seventh club.
Manager Jose Mourinho admitted it was a “difficult” night for his side, but thought they deserved their victory that came after a defeat in Holland against Feyenoord in their opening game in group A.
He said: “They (Zorya) were well organised defensively and tried to delay, delay, delay which they did. Their danger came from the wingers on the counter attack.
“It was a difficult game. We didn’t have to play amazingly well, but had to play well to win.”
Mourinho was pleased by the impact Rooney made as well as Anthony Martial when he also came on as a substitute.
He explained; “Wayne laughed and said it was a great assist, but he gave me what the team needed at the time, a second presence in the box.
“Martial brought freshness and speed and was a positive presence.”
Mourinho added he started with a strong team and had players on the bench to “give me solutions for everything”.
“In the Europa League you need to play seriously as they are good teams,” he concluded.
United, playing their 100th different opponent in European competition, made four changes from the side that started Saturday’s game against Leicester City.
Three were in defence was David De Gea, Antonio Valencia and Daley Blind were replaced by Sergio Romero, Tim Fosu-Mensah and Marcos Rojo.
The other was in midfield where Marouane Fellaini came in for Ander Herrera while Wayne Rooney was again on the bench.
Despite playing a strong side, United failed to excite in what can only be described as an indifferent display.
United enjoyed 85-per-cent possession in the opening 20 minutes, but had little to show for it other than a Ibrahimovic shot that looped just over the bar after taking a deflection.
Indeed, Zorya were the livelier side with their pace on the counter attack ensuring United’s defenders remained on their toes.
United came to breaking the deadlock mid-half when Marcus Rashford’s rising shot struck the crossbar. He was released when Paul Pogba flicked on a Juan Mata corner.
It was a rare moment of excitement in a mundane opening period in which United lacked the spark they showed five days earlier against Leicester.
Towards half time, United produced a few flickers as Jesse Lingard saw a goalbound header blocked and Fellaini’s downward header looped on to the roof of the net.
The biggest cheer came just before half time when the assistant referee took a tumble on the touchline.
And despite having 75-per-cent first-half possession, United didn’t manage a shot on target.
The quality of play, or lack of it, failed to improve in the second period and it took until the midway stage until there was a shot on target by either side – and it was was from Zorya.
Substitute Paulinho produced a neat turn and shot that Romero palmed away diving full length to his left.
Rooney made his entrance in the 67th minute and within two minutes provided the assist for the goal from Ibrahimovic that broke the deadlock.
Fosu-Mensah delivered a cross from the right and Rooney miss hit a shot into the ground. The ball looped up invitingly for the Swede to head home from almost on the goalline at the far post.
The goal was immediately followed by the Reds’ final two changes as Fosu-Mensah and Mata were replaced by Ashley Young and Anthony Martial.
Late in the game a header from Olexandr Karavaev forced another diving save while Ibrahimovic bent a free kick round the defensive wall forcing a decent stop from Oleksii Shevchenko.
But on the whole it was a night when United failed to impress in a competition that is very much second rate compared to the intensity of the Champions League.