FCSB 0, Manchester United 2 (Europa League)
Manchester United qualified directly to the knockout phase of the Europa League with a 2-0 win in Romania over FCSB.
Embed from Getty ImagesTwo quick fire second half goals by Diogo Dalot and Kobbie Mainoo – after 60 and 68 minutes respectively – ensured that the Reds left Bucharest having secured a 3rd place finish in the Europa League mega table.
The game didn’t get going until the hour mark when Mainoo found Dalot at the back post and unmarked for a tap in to break the deadlock.
And 8 minutes later it was Mainoo’s turn for the tap-in after Alejandro Garnacho had cut the ball back to him.
Staying in the top 8 of the Europa League league phase was enough for the Reds to avoid 2 extra games in February – instead they can sit back and enjoy the extra training time under boss Ruben Amorim.
Their reward for such a high finish is a round of 16 tie against one of Real Sociedad, Galatasary, AZ Alkmar, or FC Midtjylland in March.
And with qualification for Europe next term looking increasingly like it will have to come from winning either the Europa League or the FA Cup the importance will only ramp up if United’s league form continues to flop.
Without extra funds from European competition the expected United rebuild will take that much longer as exiled Marcus Rashford was again omitted from the match day squad.
Amorim had tried to rotate his Reds squad and brought on the big guns in Amad Diallo and Garnacho for left wingback Tyrell Malacia and midfielder Toby Collyer at half time as United continued to struggle for goals.
The woodwork twice denied the Reds as efforts by Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes went close while Casemiro made his first appearance off the subs bench for United since December 30.