Manchester United 2 Sampdoria 1: Nemanja Matic debuts as goals from Juan Mata and Henrikh Mkhitaryan give Jose Mourinho a boost
The Serbian international impressed on his first outing for the club as preparations for Super Cup clash against Real Madrid continue
IT was hardly the sexiest move of the summer – but it’s one which has already aroused feelings Manchester United fans were in danger of forgetting.
Nemanja Matic will never be one of United’s headling-grabbing stars – even if it did cost £40 milliion to bring him from Chelsea at the start of the week.
But he could well prove one of the most astute signings Jose Mourinho ever makes in his attempts to put a 21st title in the Old Trafford trophy cabinet.
For while it is still far too early to seriously start dreaming, there is definitely a new wind of optimism blowing around M16 once again.
A feeling of hope and belief they haven’t held for nearly five years.
A sense that, if nothing else, they can mount a genuine assault on the summit once more, rather than just the top four.
And while Romelu Lukaku’s goals, Paul Pogba’s style and Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s wizardry will all be vital components, Matic’s contribution will be equally so.
We got a glimpse of that with a 45-minute bow in a Red shirt last night.
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A half which showed the backline can look forward to a steely-walled protection over the months ahead.
A half which will have left future opponents already rubbing shins in painful anticipation – as Sampdoria’s Lucas Torreira in particular was doing after one robust challenge.
Mind you, the biggest casualty was a female fan whose glasses were on the wrong end of a blocked challenge from the new boy which flew into the crowd, and saw him follow suit as he checked on her health.
Yet just as pleasing was the way Matic, a cough and a spit into United life, bossed his team-mates into position, barked out orders when to run, when to stay, and generally took a grip.
Much like United did in the 45 minutes he was on the pitch in fact, before he was given a breather in the second half, with Tuesday’s Super Cup against Real Madrid in mind.
Worryingly, with Matic out of the way, United slackened a vice-like grip on things and – as so often last season – threatened to blow a game they had totally dominated.
As so often last term, all they had managed was a solitary goal, from a Henrikh Mkhitaryan header after as bizarre and chaotic a 60 seconds as you will see in a long while.
It started with a rush of blood from Daley Blind which had David De Gea scurrying and diving to stop an ill-placed backpass finding the corner.
That led to every United played packing the six yard box from the resulting indirect free kick – but less than a minute later they were the ones celebrating a goal.
After a body-on-the-line bout of blocking and pinballing saw off the danger, Antonio Valencia pounced quickest.
He fed Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who picked out Matteo Darmian beyond the far post – and when he returned the favour, the Armenian headed the opener.
United were in cruise control, but got hit by a sucker punch themselves when Chris Smalling made a hash of clearing Karol LInetty’s cross and Dennis Praet finished the rebound.
At least this time they found a way back, courtesy of Juan Mata’s neat finish after Anthony Martial’s even neater tee-up.
So now it is off to Macedonia and that Super Cup clash with Real Madrid, before the serious stuff starts in ten days.
The early signs are there could be a happier ending this time around.