UK Edition
Manchester United 3 Basel 0: Marcus Rashford scores on Champions League debut as hosts coast despite Paul Pogba injury
They are marking the 50th anniversary of their first European Cup triumph of 1968 this season at Old Trafford and if you were expecting a re-conquering of the competition to commemorate the achievements of Sir Matt Busby’s great side then Jose Mourinho was on hand to douse any optimism.
Back in the competition following their second season’s absence of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, this was United looking comfortably superior against low-ranking opposition, while elsewhere the big guns of Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and even Chelsea were racking up big victories. Asked what that might mean for the competition, Mourinho said that for those others the group stage was just “a warm-up”, although pointedly he said not for his new team of Europa League qualifiers.
“I think for Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern are just warming up,” Mourinho said. “In February when us English teams are trying to survive after the winter period, they’re fresh and ready. For them this is just the warm up, we’re in the second level and that level is, ‘Let’s qualify, let’s get points for the knockout phase and if we do that, let’s enjoy playing against the big guys’”.
Other than that, just one dark cloud on the night of Storm Eileen, that being the injury that forced Paul Pogba out the game early in the first half and caused him to leave Old Trafford on crutches. Mourinho’s immediate diagnosis was a hamstring tear - “big or small, I don’t know” - which might yet have consequences for United’s immediate season, if not this night
On the occasion of the club’s first Champions League win for 679 days, going right back to a 1-0 victory over CSKA Moscow on Nov 3, 2015, Pogba gave way on 19 minutes, wincing as he walked down to the touchline to be replaced by Marouane Fellaini, subsequently scorer of United’s first and creator of the third. Fellaini turned out to be United’s outstanding performer, preferred to Ander Herrera who was not even on the bench.
There was yet another milestone for Marcus Rashford who came on as a substitute and added another chapter to his remarkable record of scoring on his various debuts. This time it was a goal in the 19-year-old’s first Champions League game just as he scored in his first appearances in the Europa League, Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup and his international debuts at senior and Under-21s level.
In the interim, Romelu Lukaku headed in his sixth in six games for his new club, the second on the night after which Basel switched to a four-man defence and, for the first prolonged period, tried to score a goal themselves. “After it went 2-0, I think everything changed,” Mourino said. “We stopped playing, stopped thinking. We stopped playing seriously. We stopped making the right decisions on the pitch and could have put ourselves in trouble but they didn’t score and the third goal came.
“[There were] bad decisions, fantasy football, PlayStation football, [too many] tricks. When you stop playing as a team and seriously, I don’t like it. You gamble a little bit. Probably the players felt that the game was under control at 2-0, but football is football and you have to respect the opponent.”
FC Basel have won nine Swiss league championships over the last ten years so the kind of waiting game they were obliged to play for most of this match will have been a serious divergence from their usual domestic business. At half-time they had managed just 31 per cent of the possession, a statistic which felt on the high side given how little input they had in the game.
United’s first half goal for Fellaini had come down Basel’s left side where the majority of the home team’s attacking play had been directed. There had been some fine combinations down there, with Lukaku getting himself in to cut one back for Henrkh Mkhitaryan and another good move involving Juan Mata and Anthony Martial that created a further chance for the Armenian that he also missed.
Generally speaking however, it was Ashley Young leading the way down that flank, the 32-year-old throwing himself into the action for the first time since he was injured in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final against Celta Vigo in early May. It was Young, playing right-back, who twisted and got a yard on the wing-back Blas Riveros on 35 minutes. He crossed perfectly for Fellaini to power one in with his head from a few yards out.
Young was wearing the captain’s armband by then, handed to him when Pogba walked off, not a little distraught on 18 minutes. His hand had gone instinctively to the back of his left thigh following an innocuous challenge. Up until then he looked his usual busy self, a formidable obstacle for Basel in the centre of midfield and a man who tried to get the ball to Lukaku early and quickly.
In the centre of defence, Victor Lindelof and Chris Smalling replaced the suspended Phil Jones and Eric Bailly and there were moments when both looked a little uncertain. Basel’s best effort on United’s goal came after the hour when the Norwegian winger Mohamed Elyounoussi beat Lindelof and lashed a shot that David De Gea swatted away.
Mourinho’s expression was that of pure disgust at Mkhitaryan’s misplaced pass in midfield that gave Basel the opening and perhaps it was that he was talking about when he cited the sloppiness in the second half. By then United were two ahead, a precise cross from Daley Blind dropping nicely for Lukaku at the back post who was undeterred by the grip exerted on him by the Basel captain Marek Suchy.
United’s control was pretty much absolute although there was little in the game for Martial save one run from the left when he cut in on his right and hit a shot at the near post. His game was up when Mourinho brought on Jesse Lingard to stretch the opposition in the closing stages and although there was a standing ovation as the Frenchman came off it did not feel like an evening that changed his season.
It was just Martial’s luck that Rashford, on for Mata, had the best chance of all with six regulation minutes left, a burst from Fellaini down the right and a cut back which Mkhitaryan failed to connect with. The ball fell to Rashford, creeping unmarked into space and his shot into the ground meant that the ball spun over Tomas Vaclik and into Basel’s goal.
Rashford’s knack for picking up goals is impressive but it comes from an instinctive awareness to move into the spaces that open up at points in the game when others are looking elsewhere. He knows that he has to take advantages of the minutes he has on the pitch because, when United’s squad are all fit, Mourinho has quite a range of leading players to choose from, whatever he might argue otherwise.
We'll have a match report and reaction
from Old Trafford right away. United will be pleased, pretty comfortable, Rashford scored on his competition debut. Their win big Belgians both headed goals from excellent crosses. The only negative, and it could be a big one, is that Paul Pogba hurt his leg and had to go off.
Whole lotta Belgian.
Lukaku: "The football wasn't great but pleasing to win. We are a work in progress."
GOAL!
Marcus Rashford makes it 3-0.
Fellaini with good work down the right, crosses, and it takes a deflection. The ball ends up nutmegging both Mkhitaryan AND Xhaka, and by hook or by crook, finds Rashford unmarked! He cracks it at goal and that's three.
I want to believe that Mkhi stepped over it on purpose, but I cannot be certain.
63 mins
And yet, for all that they are dominating and superior, United do not look totally in control. More defensive slackness allows Elyounoussi to race into the area, he spins away from Lindelof, and loses his footing. I thought Lindelof might have touched him with his arm, but anyway. Elyounoussi cracks a shot at goal, well tipped over by De Gea.
61 mins
Foul from Basel's Lang on Martial, a booking, and a freekick in a handy area. Mkhitaryan swings it in... and they're not picking up Lukaku properly! That's suicidal, really. The big man from the land of Herge, chocolate, and Plastic Bertrand is up in splendid isolation to head this. Aims his header down, though, and that takes the power out of it.
GOAL! UNITED HAVE THE SECOND
Romelu Lukaku has doubled Man Utd's lead - it's now 2-0. Basel looked a bit like they had conceded this one, and that feeling has grown exponentially. United allowed time and space to work a corner, Mata involved of course. Blind's ball's slung into the area, there's big Romelu. Header. Goodnight.
Half time: United 1 Basel 0
Decent enough from the hosts on a muted evening. Mkhitaryan pulling the strings, Lukaku and Fellaini putting it about. One or two annoying lapses of concentration, they gifted the Swiss side a couple of decent chances. It's a filthy rainy evening. United will want to wrap this up and secure the regulation three points that this could and should be.
The bigger worry for United is the injury to Pogba: off after a quarter of an hour with what one presumes is a hamstring.
38 mins
Mourinho will be absolutely spitting feathers I would imagine. Basel have basically done very little, and hardly tried anything, and yet United have allowed them to fashion two really good chances. First that shot from Zuffi a minute ago. And then a simple freekick here where United are just dozy, a free header, and the Basel boy should have done better.
26 mins
Balanta is having a good game at the back. Plenty of opportunity to show what he can do, as well. But here are Basel at the other end, with a corner. Mkhitaryan breaks with it, Balanta flies into a tackle, wins the ball but gets booked nevertheless because it was a wild lunge.
Somebody get an ex-pro on the phone to tell us that "the game's gone."
22 mins
Lukaku is all over these! Basel have given him acres down the right, he bundles past/through a couple of defenders like an Under 14 kid against Under 10s. Crosses for Mkhitaryan, who wriggles free in the six yard box... stabs it at the goal.. and hits the post! Keeper just about pounces on the follow up.
Nice move, that. Metal Mkhi should have tucked that away.
15 mins
Muted affair, but something more serious is happening: Paul Pogba has gone down clutching a hamstring after stretching for a tackle
Oh dear he's not looking good at all.
Good bit of work form Lukaku, quick feet, shot from outside the box. Straight at the keeper.
Those teams in full
Man Utd: de Gea, Young, Lindelof, Smalling, Blind, Pogba, Matic, Mata, Mkhitaryan, Martial, Lukaku. Subs: Romero, Lingard, Carrick, Rashford, Valencia, Fellaini, Darmian.
Basel: Vaclik, Akanji, Suchy, Balanta, Lang, Xhaka, Zuffi, Riveros, Steffen, van Wolfswinkel, Elyounoussi. Subs: Salvi, Gaber, Fransson, Oberlin, Schmid, Bua, Calla.
Referee: Ruddy Buquet (France)
Elsewhere tonight...
... that magnificent individual Mr Rob Bagchi is in the blogging hotseat for Celtic against Paris Saint Germain, an intriguing match-up between two sides whose domestic cakewalks give them loads of opportunity to be fresh for /desperately inadequate preparation for nights such as these.
Shane O'Leary writes
On the flamboyant and vaguely grotesque relative front, you can get two for one with Barry Humphries and it makes me wonder which team Dame Edna would support (Norwich, now that Delia seems to have more or less hung up her whisk) and which one Sir Les would manage?
I cannot see beyond Sir Les Patterson as a Chelsea supporter.
Should be a pretty winnable group
for Mourinho and co. Never a barrel of laughs playing away in CSKA Moscow, and Benfica are always accomplished, but really, this ought to be a stroll for United, and Basel at home is about as comfortable a start to a Champions League campaign as you could ask for.
Which is not to say that it wouldn't be hilarious if the Swiss won.
Our preview
What is it?
It's the Group A opening game of the Champions League between three-time European Cup winners Manchester United and Swiss champions Basel.
When is it?
Tonight, so Tuesday Sept 12, 2017.
What time is kick-off?
French referee Ruddy Buquet will get the match at Old Trafford under way at 7.45pm (BST).
What TV channel is it on?
BT Sport 2 will be broadcasting the match with their programme starting at 7pm. Alternatively, you can bookmark this here page and follow our live blog with Alan Tyers at the controls with all the team news, build-up and, of course, minute-by-minute commentary.
What is the team news?
Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof will start at the heart of Manchester United's defence when they host Basel on their Champions League return on Tuesday, manager Jose Mourinho has said.
Defenders Eric Bailly and Phil Jones, who have started all four of United's Premier League games this season, are serving Uefa bans heading into the European campaign.
The duo helped United keep three consecutive clean sheets in the Premier League before their perfect start to the season ended with a 2-2 draw at Stoke City on Saturday.
"He's [Jones] playing well for us," Mourinho said. "He's probably tired with two consecutive matches with the national team so it's good that on Tuesday he gets his rest and it's an opportunity for Smalling and Lindelof to play the Champions League match."
Smalling and Lindelof, United's close season signing from Benfica, will pair up for the first time since United's 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the Uefa Super Cup last month.
Manchester United (possible; 4-2-3-1): De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Lindelof, Blind; Matic, Pogba; Mata, Mkhitaryan, Rashford; Lukaku.
Raphaël Wicky's side arrive at Old Trafford off the back of a disappointing hme defeat to Lausanne, though will draw positives from the fact that they have no players suspended or carrying injuries.
Basel (possible; 4-2-3-1): Vaclik; Lang, Suchy, Akanji, Riveros; Xhaka, Serey Die; Steffen, Zuffi, Bua; Wolfswinkel.
What are they saying?
"Being back in the Champions League is going back to the natural habitat. Manchester United have been there season after season.
"For some players there's the motivation of playing in it for the first time, so we look forward to the match and I hope also Old Trafford feels it in the same way we are feeling." Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho
"I only want to judge him [Ricky van Wolfswinkel] from the time he has been in Switzerland and he has been fantastic for us.
"He is looking fantastic on the field – he is a real striker in the box, he knows where the goal is – but he is also fantastic to have in the team as a personality.
"Of course he can [score goals in the Champions League like he has in Switzerland]. I believe that he can score and I hope that he will score goals in the Champions League for us as well." Basel manager Raphaël Wicky
What are the odds?
Manchester United to win: 1/6 Draw: 6/1 Basel to win: 16/1
What's our prediction?
Despite once being the scourge of English clubs in Europe, Basel will arrive at Old Trafford a much weaker side than those that ended the hopes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in 2011 and 2013. Coupled with the fact that United are looking reinvigorated, it's difficult to see beyond anything beyond a home win for Mourinho's side. Match prediction: Manchester United 4 Basel 1