MANCHESTER UNITED 0, VALENCIA 0
Manager Jose Mourinho went four consecutive home games in all competitions without a win for the first time as the misfiring Reds drew their second Champions League game of the season against a Valencia side even worse at hitting the target than their hosts.
The Reds haven’t won since their last Champions League fixture – the win in Switzerland in September against Young Boys – and only won at home on the first day of the season against Leicester City in August.
The game had to be delayed as United’s own coach was stick in the Manchester traffic gridlock earlier in the evening, arriving less than an hour before the scheduled kick off.
In the second half of this forgettable European fixture the restless Old Trafford crowd started to sing an all-too-familar Stretford End refrain.
“Attack, Attack, Attack!” could be heard from around the stadium – while loud cheers were heard from the visiting Valencia supporters when they serenaded their former idol – Juan Mata – as he warmed up on the sidelines.
Valencia seemed incapable of converting their chances into something more promising – with Goncalo Guedes particularly poor.
It might have been a reflection of their La Liga form, but Valencia were good at containing the threat of United and not afraid to take a booking while doing it.
PLAYER RATINGS – Manchester United 0, Valencia 0
David De Gea: 6. Goncalo Guedes tested him early on but the Valencia man was out of luck all night with his decision making and shooting.
Antonio Valencia: 6. Early reducer on Goncalo Guedes.
Eric Bailly: 5. Nervous at the back, stunned by Rodrigo who elbowed him in the throat, and that didn’t help matters.
Chris Smalling: 6. Quietly performed against an admittedly weak Valencia attack.
Luke Shaw: 6. Tried to produce some width with Marcus Rashford coming inside down the left.
Marouane Fellaini: 6. Didn’t venture forward a lot.
Nemanja Matic: 6. Protected the back four.
Paul Pogba: 6. Tried to produce telling passes to raise the tempo. A 25 yard free kick in the 62nd minute was touched over by Neto.
Marcus Rashford: 7. Got closer and closer with his chances in the first half but no breakthrough. His free kick from wide hit the crossbar and he had precious few better chances.
Romelu Lukaku: 6. Better movement and up for a battle but didn’t get into many shooting positions and when he did Neto was there to save if he got it on target.
Alexis Sanchez: 6. On the right so was crossing in more than shooting. Free kick couldn’t clear the Valencia wall earlier and he was subbed off.
MATCH STATS – Manchester United 0, Valencia 0
Man Utd: De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Smalling, Shaw, Fellaini, Matic, Pogba, Rashford, Lukaku, Sanchez (Martial 76)
Man Utd Subs not used: Romero, Lindelof, Mata, Fred, Darmian, McTominay
Booked: Lukaku 87
Valencia: Neto, Piccini, Garay, Gabriel Paulista, Gaya, Coquelin (Soler 78), Parejo, Kondogbia, Guedes (Cheryshev 82), Rodrigo, Batshuayi (Gameiro 73)
Booked: Coquelin 21, Rodrigo 32, Parejo 45, Piccini 85, Gaya 88, Kondogbia 90+2
Valencia Subs not used: Domenech, Vezo, Diakhaby, Wass
Attendance: 73,569