Manchester United get Europa League win over Omonia Nicosia
Rob DawsonCorrespondent
Marcus Rashford got here off the bench to attain twice and assist Manchester United overcome a half-time deficit to beat Omonia Nicosia 3-2 in a Europa League group section conflict in Cyprus on Thursday.
With United stunningly trailing to a first-half aim from Karim Ansarifard, Rashford got here on on the interval and scored one and arrange one other for Anthony Martial to show the sport on its head inside 20 minutes of his arrival.
Rashford added United’s third with six minutes remaining earlier than Omonia ensured a nervy finale after Nikolas Panagiotou instantly pulled a aim again.
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The end result leaves United second in Group E on six factors, three behind leaders Real Sociedad and three forward of Sheriff Tiraspol. Omonia, who will go to Outdated Trafford in per week’s time, stay and not using a level.
JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Post-match quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures
Fast Response
1. Substitutes flip it round for Manchester United after a scare
Omonia Nicosia had solely gained one in every of their earlier 26 European fixtures past the qualifying rounds once they welcomed Manchester United to the GSP Stadium on Thursday evening however they nonetheless managed to provide Erik ten Hag’s facet a scare. Regardless of dominating the primary half by way of possession and possibilities, United went in at half-time 1-0 down because of a shambolic Tyrell Malacia mistake contributing to Karim Ansarifard’s opener after a scientific counter-attack.
Omonia supervisor Neil Lennon was a part of the Celtic workforce which shocked United within the Champions League group phases in 2006 however his hopes of masterminding one other unlikely victory have been short-lived as Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial got here off the bench to place the guests 2-1 up early within the second half. Rashford scored once more to make it 3-1 earlier than Nikolaos Panagiotou made it 3-2 late on to arrange a nervous end.
After the demolition within the derby in opposition to Manchester City and an early Europa League defeat to Actual Sociedad, it wasn’t a sport Ten Hag may afford to lose and whereas the end result was the appropriate one, the Dutchman will not be pleased with components of the efficiency. United ought to have been out of sight properly earlier than Omonia scored their first and it was lucky that Rashford and Martial have been readily available to mount a rescue act within the second half.
2. Extra frustration for Cristiano Ronaldo
It is ironic that the competitors Cristiano Ronaldo did not need to play on this season now provides him the most effective likelihood to get a sport. With out a begin within the Premier League since August, Ronaldo was named within the workforce for the third Europa League fixture in a row however he endured a irritating evening in Cyprus.
One effort from a decent angle early on was properly saved by Fabiano within the Omonia aim earlier than he was penalised for a excessive boot when he seemed certain to attain from shut vary after Bruno Fernandes‘ lob had bounced off the highest of the crossbar. He fired one speculative free-kick excessive into the stands after which fluffed his greatest likelihood of the evening when Diogo Dalot squared his go throughout the field however Ronaldo noticed his effort come again off the submit.
He performed his half in United’s win with a cross to the again submit which was turned in by Rashford to make it 3-1 however it’s now one aim in 9 appearances for the 37-year-old this season and it is unlikely he is finished sufficient to pressure his means into the workforce to face Everton
3. Jadon Sancho is struggling for consistency
This was meant to be the season — his second following his transfer from Borussia Dortmund in 2021 — that Jadon Sancho was supposed to point out why United have been so eager to signal him. However whereas there have been flashes of his capability with objectives in opposition to Liverpool, Leicester and Sheriff, he is struggling to show it on week after week. He was barely within the sport at Man Metropolis on Sunday and solely lasted 45 minutes right here.
It was his poor go which performed Malacia into bother for Omonia’s opener and was rapidly changed at half-time with Rashford, who wanted solely eight minutes to attain the equaliser. Ten Hag is an enormous fan of Sancho, who has began all however one in every of United’s video games up to now this season however there may be an argument that he ought to sit out the journey to Goodison Park on Sunday.
He isn’t doing sufficient to have an effect on video games commonly and has a behavior of disappearing or taking the simple resolution when he will get the ball. Ten Hag has different choices within the ahead positions and Martial and Rashford, specifically, will really feel they’ve all received an opportunity to begin in opposition to Everton.
Participant scores
Omonia Nicosia: Fabiano 7, Miletic 5, Yuste 6, Lang 6, Matthews 6, Lecjaks 6, Diskerud 5, Charalampous 7, Barker 6, Bruno 7, Ansarifard 7.
Subs: Papoulis 6, Kakoulli 6, Loizou 6, Panagiotou 7, Bezus 6.
Manchester United: De Gea 6, Dalot 6, Malacia 5, Lindelof 6, Martinez 7, Casemiro 6, Eriksen 6, Fernandes 6, Antony 6, Sancho 5, Ronaldo 6.
Subs: Rashford 8, Shaw 6, Martial 7, Fred 6, McTominay 6.
Finest and worst performers
BEST: Marcus Rashford, Manchester United.
He got here off the bench at half-time and adjusted the sport with two objectives within the second half.
WORST: Tyrell Malacia, Manchester United.
It hasn’t been an excellent couple of days for the Dutchman, who was substituted at half-time within the Manchester derby after which made the error which led to Omonia taking the lead.
Highlights and notable moments
OMONIA STUN MANCHESTER UNITED. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/wIAWuLWvo3
— CBS Sports activities Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 6, 2022
Definitely was surprising.
Marcus Rashford has a brace. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/b6z3Yykl4G
— CBS Sports activities Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 6, 2022
Marcus Rashford’s second rating ensured the win for United on a nervy evening in Cyprus.
After the match: What the managers, gamers stated
Omonia Nicosia supervisor Neil Lennon to BT Sport: “I did not anticipate us to attain two objectives! It’ll be a special sport at Outdated Trafford, however we’ve seen them up shut and know what their weaknesses are. We are going to go there and provides it the whole lot we have.”
Manchester United supervisor Erik ten Hag to BT Sport: “We began properly, then an pointless mistake and a very dangerous 10 minutes. Now we have to be taught from it.”
Key Stats (offered by ESPN Stats & Info)
– Regardless of quite a few possibilities on the evening to make it 700, Cristiano Ronaldo stays on 699 profession membership objectives in all competitions (450 with Real Madrid, 143 with Man Utd, 101 with Juventus, 5 with Sporting CP).
Up subsequent
Manchester United: Will host Everton in Premier League motion on Sunday after which one other Europa League group stage tilt with Omonia Nicosia on Thursday, this time at Outdated Trafford.
Omonia Nicosia: A match with AEL Limassol within the Cypriot First Division on Monday earlier than Thursday’s journey to Manchester.
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