Manchester United got their first win in this season’s Champions League with a hard-fought 2-1 triumph over Wolfsburg on Wednesday evening.
United had to come from behind to defeat their German opponents, courtesy of Juan Mata’s first-half penalty and Chris Smalling’s close range finish after the break.
Let’s take a look at three things we learned from the game:
Juan Mata is rediscovering his best form
Juan Mata is in fantastic form for United at the moment and the Spaniard continued that impressive run into the game with Wolfsburg. The diminutive playmaker is extending his influence from playing on the right wing, and looks to be adding more consistency to his performances in the position.
Chris Smalling’s goal was supplied by a sensational flick over the defence from Mata, an extraordinary piece of skill which proved to be a match-winning moment. That technique is defining of the Spanish midfielder’s quality as if it was ever in doubt.
Wayne Rooney continues to struggle
He broke his Premier League goal drought on Saturday, but Wayne Rooney is having a less than impressive start to the campaign. Despite scoring five goals so far for United, the Englishman isn’t proving so effective against better opposition.
United faced a very stern test from Wolfsburg in this game and, Rooney, playing as a number ten, was absent for most of the match. He’s scored against Club Brugge, Ipswich and Sunderland this term, but doesn’t look like making an impact against better teams. How much longer will it be before Louis van Gaal considers his captain’s place in the team?
United need to be smarter in Europe
After a year’s hiatus from the Champions League, United look like they might need to make some subtle changes to their approach in the competition. Four of Louis van Gaal’s players were booked in this game, which led to some criticism of the referee from home fans.
However, whilst the official was at times inconsistent when handing out yellow cards, United were equally naïve in the way they played. There were some rash challenges from the home team, with Morgan Schneiderlin notably fortunate not to be sent off.
One of the main differences between the Premier League and Champions League is the officiating, and United need to wise up to that. Challenges that might go unpunished domestically are sometimes considered bookable offences in Europe and, therefore, less of the rash tackles would be especially welcome in the trip to CSKA Moscow in three weeks’ time.
