Man U finally end goal drought
[caption id="attachment_108602" align="alignright" width="250"] WAYNE ROONEY[/caption]
MANCHESTER United manager Louis van Gaal admitted to feeling relieved after Wayne Rooney ended the club’s 404-minute scoring drought to secure a 1-0 victory over CSKA Moscow. United had drawn their three previous games 0-0 and a fourth consecutive goalless draw – unprecedented in the club’s history – was on the cards as Tuesday’s Champions League game at Old Trafford entered its final minutes.
But in the 79th minute Rooney met Jesse Lingard’s deft volleyed pass from the right with a bullet header that elevated United to the top of Group B with two matches remaining. “We deserve it totally. I’m relieved, but also proud, because it’s not so easy,” the Dutchman said after United’s first home win against Russian opposition in four attempts.
Rooney has been widely criticised after a string of sluggish displays, but his header saw him equal Denis Law’s tally of 237 United goals, putting him joint-second in the club’s all-time list, 12 goals behind Bobby Charlton. Asked if it vindicated his continued support for the United captain, Van Gaal replied: “Yeah, but I back all my players. Not only Wayne Rooney, but Wayne Rooney is always the centre of attention so I have to answer always questions about Wayne Rooney. Now, again. “But Wayne is Wayne and he shall always contribute in a game. I’m very happy because I put him again in the striker’s position and then he scored. It was a fantastic goal,” Van Gaal said.
Rooney’s goal also served to spare Van Gaal from the wrath of United’s fans, who aimed a volley of boos in his direction when he replaced Anthony Martial with Marouane Fellaini in the 66th minute. “Of course I heard it. I’m not deaf,” he said. “It’s just the opinion of the fans.”
CSKA, nine points clear in the Russian Premier League, were stubbornly unadventurous, packing men behind the ball and seeing only 31% of possession. But visiting manager Leonid Slutsky dismissed suggestions that they had shown their opponents too much respect.
“The players were not afraid,” he said. “It’s always difficult to play against such a strong team as Man United. We didn’t have lots of possession, just as in the first game in Moscow (a 1-1 draw).” Meanwhile, Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini urged his players to maintain the standards they set in sweeping aside Sevilla 3-1 to seal their place in the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday.
Despite their resources, City have struggled to make an impact on the Champions League, losing to Barcelona in the last 16 in the two previous seasons they have made it to the knockout stage. However, they produced arguably their best European display under Pellegrini’s tutelage as goals from Raheem Sterling and Fernandinho fired the visitors into a 2-0 lead after just 11 minutes.
Benoit Tremoulinas pulled a goal back for Sevilla, but Wilfried Bony restored City’s two-goal lead before the break and Pellegrini’s men passed up a series of chances to add to their lead in the second half. The victory took City a point ahead of Juventus at the top of Group D with the two set to meet inTurin in three weeks’ time. – AFP
