Manchester United 2 CSKA Moscow 1 report: Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford strike 66 seconds apart to seal top spot in Champions League group A
Russians took the lead before half-time – with United players claiming offside as the ball hit Alan Dzagoev on the back with Daley Blind off the pitch
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED against the Russians.
Now will it be Mission Impossible against The Citizens?
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It has been for everybody else this season.
Nobody has beaten Pep Guardiola’s men.
Only Everton and Wolves have even held them to a draw and the latter still lost on a penalty shoot out in that Carabao Cup tie.
But is anyone can crack the code to beating this Manchester City side it is Jose Mourinho.
The last manager who did it was Arsene Wenger in April’s FA Cup semi-final.
Nobody since, not in 28 games.
Having said that United are in form themselves particularly he where the two side come together on Sunday.
Last night’s win saw them equal a club record 40 game unbeaten home league run dating back to the mid sixties.
Last night was very much the easy part of a nine day stretch that has brought three games.
At Arsenal they were exceptional in winning 3-1, last night they didn’t have to be but did well to come back from a goal down to win.
On Sunday they most definitely will need to have their A game, make that A plus.
The talk has all been about that clash since United produced their best performance since Sir Alex Ferguson bowed out with that win at The Emirates.
It brought real hope that Sunday could see them victorious in cutting the gap at the top between them to five points.
The sending off of Paul Pogba at Arsenal has of course tempered some of that enthusiasm but it is time for others to step up.
Someone like Ander Herrera for example.
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Mourinho would probably prefer that Marouane Fellaini gets fit from a knee problem because that will certainly give them the physical presence in midfield that will be lacking with Pogba’s absence.
Last night’s objective was a simple one, just avoid a 7-0 defeat.
Only that and a Basel victory over Benfica was going to deny United’s progression into the next phase.
Having won 4-1 away in Moscow the odds against United exiting the competition were understandably high.
It was 11-1 just for the Russians just to win yet it was they who lead at half-time as they looked to better what Basel were doing to qualify for the next stage, having started the night level on points.
United had had all the play up to that point.
After only four minutes Marcus Rashford had a great chance after being put through by Romelu Lukaku but his cross shot came back off the inside of the far post.
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He had another opportunity soon after when Juan Mata brought down a high ball with a superb touch and set him up but this time Igor Akinfeev’s outstretched hand denied him.
From Antonio Valencia’s cross Luke Shaw had a volley well saved and Lukaku could not bundle home the loose ball.
Shaw was having a good first half in what was his first start in 219 days.
It was also his first Champions League appearance since that horror leg break in Eindhoven back in September 2015.
He was involved again when Pogba put him down the left but his cross was just too far ahead of Rashford.
CSKA were holding on and then they were ahead in confusing circumstances.
When Vitinho’s shot hit the back of Alan Dzagoev he was in an offside position but only because Daley Blind had gone off the pitch as he tried to cut out Mario Fernandes cross that set the chance up.
Therefore according to the linesman Blind was still active and he actually pointed to him to make that point, otherwise players would just be stepping off the pitch to play people offside.
United began the second half strongly with Rashford having another effort saved and a free kick that deflected just wide of the right hand upright.
Then on 64 minutes they were level through a much needed goal for Romelu Lukaku – only his second in 13 matches.
It was superbly taken as well as he met a chipped through ball from Pogba with an outstretched boot to steer the ball home.
Another example of what will be missed on Sunday with that pass from Pogba.
Just 66 seconds later they were ahead and it was another cracker as Lukaku headed a long ball on, Blind lifted it over the last defender and Rashford allowed it to bounce once before firing a low shot into the far corner.
At that point Mourinho began to make more changes with Sunday in mind.
He had already made five from last Saturday but off came Herrera and captain Valencia and Lukaku would later make way for Anthony Martial.
Lukaku was applauded all the way down the touchline as he headed straight to the dressing room.
The goals may not have been flowing of late but the performances have still been good.
Strikers live on goals, however, and this one will have given him the confidence he needs ahead of Sunday.
What a clash that should be.