Manchester United defeated Omonia Nicosia in the Europa League thanks to a brilliant cameo from Marcus Rashford.
Omonia, managed by former Celtic manager Neil Lennon, have had only one victory in their previous 26 European matches.
However, Lennon had made it clear that effort and discipline were key components of his philosophy.
Nine shots and approximately 80% of the possession were made by the Red Devils in the opening 30 minutes, but the Lennon’s team held their ground and capitalised on their opportunities.
A through pass came for United’s 87 million pounds winger, Antony, 17 minutes After the kick-off, but his attempt to score the game’s first goal was unsuccessful as he played the ball too far behind Bruno Fernandes.
A minute later, Fernandes’ chipped attempt hit the crossbar. Shortly after, Fabiano brilliantly denied Antony from scoring from 25 yards out.
Karim Ansarifard unexpectedly helped his team take the lead before the break.
After the break, United manager Erik Ten Hag brought on Marcus Rashford, who scored eight minutes later before assisting fellow substitute Anthony Martial to complete the scoring to make it two.
Rashford’s brace made it 3-1 before Nikolas Panayiotou scored in a tense night for the Red Devils.
As United sit in the second place in Group E, a chance to advance to the knockout stages through a play-off against a team that is dropping out of the Champions League is still visible.
This article was originally published on OsunDaily News
