 |
The
powerful Belgium international exploited some woeful CSKA defending to tap home
unopposed at the far post
|
Striker Romelu Lukaku
continued his remarkable scoring run with two goals as Manchester United swept
aside CSKA Moscow 4-1 in Russia.
 |
Martial
stepped up to take the penalty - fresh from recently scoring from 12 yards
against Everton earlier this month
|
The
Belgium international arrived from Everton in the summer with a £90million
price tag but has done plenty to quickly justify that sum as he clinically
exposed an ageing defence at the VEB Arena.
Lukaku
took his tally to 10 goals in nine appearances - the great Sir Bobby Charlton
managed ‘only’ nine in his first nine - as he scored in his eighth successive
European game with a double in the first half either side of an Anthony Martial
penalty with Henrikh Mkhitaryan adding a fourth just after the interval.
Substitute
Konstantin Kuchaev’s 90th-minute goal was little consolation.
What
they said
Manchester
United manager Jose Mourinho: “It is a great achievement (Lukaku’s scoring
record) but it is only possible with a good team. Without a good team it is not
possible and the team is playing well. They are amazing numbers for Romelu. He
is humble and wants to learn and improve all the time. I think ambition is
there and I trust he can keep performing for us.”
CSKA
coach Viktor Goncharenko: “If we had a plan it collapsed with the first missed
ball. The level of the game fell very much, we did not have time. It surely
causes alarm that we conceded such easy goals at this level. Thanks to
(goalkeeper Igor) Akinfeev, he was keeping us in the game with some good saves.
It’s not about us being unlucky, it’s more that our players looked kind of lost
despite being so experienced. The level of Manchester United, of course, played
its role, too.”
Tweet
of the match
Star
man
Romelu
Lukaku: The big Belgian is proving to be well worth his £90million transfer fee
and although neither of his goals required particular brilliance he was a constant
threat to a three-man CSKA defence which crumbled under the pressure.
Moment
of the match
David
de Gea’s fingertip save to deny Fedor Chalov. The United goalkeeper had little
to do but conceding a goal before half-time would have been a
confidence-booster for CSKA.
Data
point
CSKA
goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev has not kept a clean sheet in 45 consecutive matches
of the Champions League proper - a run stretching back to 2006.
Player
ratings
CSKA
Moscow: Igor Akinfeev 6 (out of 10), Mario Fernandes 5, Viktor Vasin 5, Vasili
Berezutski 4, Sergei Ignashevich 4, Georgi Schennikov 4, Alan Dzagoev 6, Pontus
Wernbloom 6, Aleksandr Golovin 6, Fedor Chalov 6, Vitinho 5. Substitutes:
Georgi Milanov (on for Dzagoev 72) 5, Timur Zhamaletdinov (on for Chalov 66) 5,
Konstantin Kuchaev (on for Vitinho 85) 5.
Manchester
United: David de Gea 7, Ashley Young 6, Eric Bailly 6, Chris Smalling 6, Victor
Lindelof 6, Daley Blind 7, Nemanja Matic 7, Ander Herrera 7, Henrikh Mkhitaryan
8, Anthony Martial 8, Romelu Lukaku 8. Substitutes: Jesse Lingard (on for
Mkhitaryan 60) 6, Marcus Rashford (on for Martial 72) 6, Matteo Darmian (on for
Young 66) 6.
Who’s
up next?
Manchester United v Crystal
Palace (Premier League, Saturday September 30)
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