Anthony Martial rescued a point for Manchester United as they drew with CSKA Moscow in the Champions League in a laboured performance.
Seydou Doumbia gave CSKA the lead, reacting first after David de Gea saved Roman Eremenko's penalty, awarded for a handball by Martial.
United improved after the break with Martial making up for his mistake by heading in Antonio Valencia's cross.
They are now second in Group B as Wolfsburg beat PSV Eindhoven to go top.
Captain Wayne Rooney was quiet, and it was not a thrilling display with Sunday's Manchester derby looming large, especially as their city rivalsearned a late win over Sevilla on the same night.
But a point against a CSKA team in freezing conditions allows them the opportunity to stamp their authority on an open group, should they beat the Russian league leaders in the return fixture at Old Trafford on 3 November.
United make sluggish start
It could have been a lot worse for Louis van Gaal's side, who have been unconvincing so far in Europe after a year's break from the Champions League.
In addition to the 15th-minute opener - which saw the United defence slow to react after De Gea pushed the initial effort on to the post - the Spanish keeper also had to claw away Ahmed Musa's long-range effort before the break.
Initially, United offered little response to Doumbia's eighth goal for club and country, any attacks sorely lacking in pace.
But Marouane Fellaini's introduction at half-time signalled an improvement, as Ander Herrera dropped deeper and injected more pace into the visitors' passing.
And it was from Herrera's pass that Valencia crossed for Martial to head his first Champions League goal.
Did Van Gaal get his selections right?
Questions will once again be raised about Van Gaal's team choices, with the United boss favouring Martial on the left wing, Wayne Rooney up front and 22-year-old Jesse Lingard making his Champions League debut on the right.
Martial continued in the same position as he did against Everton on Saturday, given the task of taming of CSKA right-back Mario Fernandes, who was a constant threat.
The decision appeared to backfire early on as Martial found himself deep in the United area and handled Fernandes' flick to concede the early penalty.
The hosts' defenders were also quick to surround the former Monaco forward during the first half as he struggled to make an impact in attack.
But the 19-year-old changed the game's complexion with a brilliant header from 12 yards for his fifth goal of the season.
The strike came from a central position, where the £36m signing has largely played in his early United appearances, and with Rooney failing to make a huge impact in his place, it will be interesting to see whether Van Gaal keeps them there for Sunday's derby.
Rooney struggles at top of attack
Despite being United's top-scorer this season with six goals, Rooney spent long periods on the game's periphery.
Playing at the point of the visitors' attack, he had a half-chance in the first period from Antonio Valencia's near-post cross, and a second-half header was well saved by CSKA goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev.
But the 29-year-old touched the ball only 40 times, more than De Gea's 39 but less often than Fellaini's 47, despite the Belgian only being introduced at half-time.
Van Gaal has already defended his captain this season but if the player is so crucial to the United manager's success, it is arguable he should play in a position where he is more involved.
Stats you need to know
- Anthony Martial scored his first Champions League goal after exactly 11 hours on the pitch in the competitions.
- Seydou Doumbia has scored 13 Champions League goals for CSKA; more than twice as many as any other player for the club.
- Doumbia has now scored six goals in five Champions League games against English clubs (five v Manchester City, one v Manchester United).
- Morgan Schneiderlin completed 119 passes in this match - the most by a United player in a Champions League game since Darren Fletcher v Cluj in October 2012.
What next?
The Manchester derby takes place at Old Trafford on Sunday - kick-off 14:05 GMT. United have back-to-back home games in the Champions League, with the return fixtures against CSKA Moscow before hosting PSV Eindhoven on 25 November.
LINEUP, BOOKINGS (3) & SUBSTITUTIONS (6)
CSKA Moscow
- 35 Akinfeev
- 02 Figueira Fernandes
- 24 Berezutski (Berezutski - 42' )
- 04 Ignashevitch
- 42 Schennikov
- 07 Tosic
- 03 Wernbloom
- 10 Dzagoev (Cauna - 87' )
- 18 Musa
- 25 Alekseevich Eremenko (Panchenko - 83' )
- 88 Doumbia
Substitutes
- 01 Chepchugov
- 06 Berezutski
- 08 Panchenko
- 14 Nababkin
- 19 Cauna
- 23 Milanov
- 60 Golovin
Manchester United
- 01 de Gea
- 25 A Valencia
- 04 Jones
- 12 Smalling
- 05 Rojo (Blind - 63' )
- 31 Schweinsteiger (Fellaini - 45' Booked)
- 28 Schneiderlin
- 35 Lingard (Depay - 80' )
- 21 Herrera Booked
- 09 Martial Booked
- 10 Rooney
Substitutes
- 07 Depay
- 08 Mata
- 16 Carrick
- 17 Blind
- 20 Romero
- 27 Fellaini
- 36 Darmian
Ref: Carlos Velasco Carballo
Att: 18,456
Live Text Commentary
Full time
Full TimeMatch ends, CSKA Moscow 1, Manchester United 1.
90:00+3:16Full time
Full TimeSecond Half ends, CSKA Moscow 1, Manchester United 1.
90:00+0:30Booking
BookingPontus Wernbloom (CSKA Moscow) is shown the yellow card.
90:00+0:12
Ander Herrera (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
90:00+0:12
Foul by Pontus Wernbloom (CSKA Moscow).
89:06Booking
BookingMarouane Fellaini (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
89:02
Foul by Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United).
89:02
Zoran Tosic (CSKA Moscow) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
86:07Substitution
SubstitutionSubstitution, CSKA Moscow. Aleksandrs Cauna replaces Alan Dzagoev.
82:28Substitution
SubstitutionSubstitution, CSKA Moscow. Kirill Panchenko replaces Roman Eremenko.
81:33
Anthony Martial (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
81:33
Foul by Georgy Schennikov (CSKA Moscow).
79:37Booking
BookingAnder Herrera (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
79:29
Foul by Ander Herrera (Manchester United).
79:29
Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
79:01Substitution
SubstitutionSubstitution, Manchester United. Memphis Depay replaces Jesse Lingard.
78:38
Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by Sergei Ignashevitch.
70:56
Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
70:56
Foul by Pontus Wernbloom (CSKA Moscow).
70:28
Attempt missed. Alexei Berezutski (CSKA Moscow) header from a difficult angle on the right is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Alan Dzagoev with a cross following a corner.
No comments:
Post a Comment