Manchester United looked to have wrapped up a first leg lead in Brussels after Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s first-half goal, but Leander Dendoncker’s thumping header four minutes from time means that the tie is evenly poised ahead of the second leg at Old Trafford.
United started nervously but slowly grew into the game and they eventually found the breakthrough eight minutes before the break. Marcus Rashford’s effort was palmed away by Ruben, but only into the path of Mkhitaryan, who tapped home from a narrow angle.
The Reds looked comfortable from that point onwards, and bar some sporadic pressure from Anderlecht, looked to be heading back to Manchester with a crucial away goal and clean sheet until Dendoncker out-jumped Matteo Darmian and drilled a header past Sergio Romero, sending the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium into delirium.
José Mourinho will once again rue his side’s inability to kill off games despite being in total control, with Paul Pogba having missed a golden opportunity minutes before Anderlecht equalised. As always, the Reds will have to do it the hard way at Old Trafford.
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