Manchester United secured a vital win tonight in the Champions League, as they squeezed past CSKA Moscow with a solitary goal from captain Wayne Rooney.
United fans arrived at the Theatre of Dreams hoping for an attacking performance to put an end to the Reds’ recent goal drought, and they got what they wanted, with the side going for the jugular from the get go. Anthony Martial’s substitution for Marouane Fellaini in the second half may have sparked some dissent from the crowd, but Rooney’s goal late on, finishing off a brilliant team move with a thumping header past Igor Akinfeev in the CSKA goal handed all three points to the Reds.
The win takes United to the top of Group B and on course for qualification for the knockout stages, and here’s how manager Louis van Gaal felt after the game:
Of course it is a relief because you have seen an attacking Manchester United team creating lots of chances against an organised team.
It is always difficult to score goals. We had to wait a long time. We controlled the match for 89 minutes and for one minute we didn’t control it. We could have been defeated again.
If they had scored then I would be sitting here very differently. But we deserved, totally, to win so I am relieved but I am also proud. It is not so easy.
Also, in the golden years of Manchester United I have read they never won against a Russian team at home. Everybody thinks it is easy but it is not easy. It is not easy for one club to win in the Champions League.
The Dutchman also thanked his players for putting in a fine performance and called the winning goal a brilliant move:
I thank all of my players, not only Wayne Rooney. Wayne Rooney is always the centre of attention and I always have to answer questions about Wayne Rooney. Wayne is Wayne and he shall always contribute in the game.
I am very happy because I put him in the striker position again and he scored. It was a fantastic goal; the preparation was fantastic. The tackle of Marcos Rojo, the pass of Michael Carrick, the cut-back of Jesse Lingard and the header of Wayne Rooney.
It was fantastic, I am very happy about the performance of my players but also about the result and the fact that we are top of the group.
van Gaal went on to praise David de Gea and Chris Smalling for denying Seydou Doumbia when the Ivorian went through on goal, which could have changed the whole complexion of the game:
It was the only attack of CSKA Moscow and that was when a player of Manchester United stepped in the wrong way.
David De Gea has saved us and then Michael Smalling has saved us, but that is also football – that you are running everything out of your body to prevent goals and it is fantastic to see that Smalling is doing that. Ashley Young was also doing that [behind Smalling] – it was a great sliding tackle.
Finally, the United boss acknowledged the boos that rang out at Old Trafford when Martial was taken off for Fellaini:
Of course I heard that. That is the opinion of the fans, afterwards they shall not be disappointed with the decision of the manager.
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