After a more than just frustrating run of three games that didn’t yield any goals at all, a Manchester United side that consisted of ‘robots’, as per Andrei Kanchelskis took on Leonid Slutsky’s CSKA Moscow’s side. There was an aura of nervousness around Old Trafford and seldom a weird silence hung over it, as United kept plugging away at trying to score. After attempting to get ahead for more than 75 minutes, the much-needed breakthrough came in the 78th minute, as Wayne Rooney broke his duck, silencing his detractors.
It’s become a very common and monotonous practice for teams to commute to the Theatre of Dreams and simply, ‘park the bus’ and defend deep. CSKA did just that. They looked like a very well drilled unit, who looked very well organized from the offset. The United midfield, which comprised of the senior pair of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Michael Carrick gave an impression of being a tad slow while Wayne Rooney played in the hole with Anthony Martial up top. Juan Mata took up his usual position on the right flank while Jesse Lingard was deployed on the left.
Anthony Martial’s deployment up top was made to ensure that United got more cover down the CSKA right, as Frenchman wasn’t seen tracking back well enough in the previous games.
The Red Devils made a bright start to the game, much to everyone’s surprise. They looked quicker and the passing tempo was pleasing on the eye. Jesse Lingard succeeded in making some swift runs in the behind the CSKA defensive line, as Wayne Rooney looked brighter than he has this season. The skipper combined well with Schweinsteiger and Carrick, finding pockets of space inside the 4 man diamond that CSKA had created in front of the resolute back four, with Ahmed Musa at the tip of it, always raring to break forward with pace.
Lingard’s tendency to make slick runs in behind was well countered by the CSKA back four that consisted of Aleksei Berezutski, Mario Fernandes, Sergei Ignashevich and Georgi Schennikov. They kept a very tight line and stopper Igor Akinfeev was seen come hurtling quickly down his line, whenever he saw the line breached to get to the ball before Lingard did. The co-ordination between the back four and between the back four and the goalkeeper was commendable indeed.
Left-back Marcos Rojo combined well with the young Englishman, as they exchanged passes down the left, knowing that CSKA had enough men down the middle to cut out danger as Wayne Rooney looked for little, indistinguishable pockets of space of operate, the central midfield pair sitting in front of the CSKA diamond and Anthony Martial looking to make cheeky runs in behind.
The right side of the United attack looked more into finding passes than running past players with pace as Ashley Young marauded down the flank, often tracking back to quell any dangers that Slutsky’s men posed at the break. Spaniard Juan Mata was more immobile, as the 27-year-old always looked to stand one on one with the yellow carded Schennikov, looking to set Young through.
United could well have been 2 or 3 up at half time, but it wasn’t meant to be. Jesse Lingard missed two opportunities to hand van Gaal’s side the lead while Marcos Rojo’s one touch volleyed effort from close range went wide. Martial was caught offside thrice, as the CSKA defensive line stood firm, denying him space to get in behind while Bastian Schweinsteiger looked more of that midfielder who looked to get forward more often, playing snappy passes with those around him and trying to make penetrating runs past the CSKA players, who defended in blocks of 3.
Delivery from set pieces was disappointing, with a special mention for Lingard who failed to get crosses into the box from short corners.
As anxiety grew at the Theatre of Dreams, CSKA looked more intent on getting more numbers behind the ball and soaking up all the pressure and to get a snatch and grab the win. United looked less of a threat in the second half, especially early on but gradually improved as the half grew on.
Lingard looked very good indeed. Although, the final pass was still lacking, the 21-year-old whizzed past the likes of Mario Fernandes and Berezutsky with more intent and pace. Marcos Rojo was always willing to make overlaps past the starlet, but it was his crossing that let him down.
The concentration of play down the middle released the likes of Lingard out wide, dragging the CSKA defenders out of position and make space for the youngster, so that he could go one on one with Fernandes, to go past them with the help of overlaps or with pace.
As the game drew on, United pressurized harder than they had in the game after Marouane Fellaini came on to overload the box, with Wayne Rooney playing up top and Lingard coming inside the box too. Michael Carrick stayed where he was, deeper than the others, to ping passes and play diagonal balls to Fellaini, along with the full backs.
And this strategy, which often goes by the tag of ‘Plan B’, worked. Michael Carrick’s lovely lofted pass to Lingard, who was making a run past the right edge of the box, just 2 or 3 three yards inside. Lingard played a one-touch pass towards the crowded areas near the middle of the goal found Rooney, who headed the ball past the Russian stopper to hand United the lead.
As Old Trafford went mental, Rooney wheeled away in celebrating his first Champions League goal of the season that tied him with Denis Law in United’s all-time goalscoring charts.
United fended off late pressure from the Red Horses, as the defense stood firm, thanks to Chris Smalling’s inspired performance, apart from an outrageous block on the goal line seconds before the goal.
All in all, it was an expected, classic tactical battle. All out attack against all out defence. And capitalizing on CSKA’s mistakes held a key. United kept attacking and the Russian table topper kept soaking it up until Rooney got the much-needed breakthrough. And when United host West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, the Baggies will adhere to a similar style, considering United’s so-called ‘unattractive’ and ‘uncreative’ philosophy.
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