Mkhitaryan scores brilliant solo goal, Ibrahimovic scores, as Manchester United seal last-32 place
Updated 09/12/2016 at 09:28 GMT
Stadion Chornomorets, Europa League Group A - Zorya 0 Manchester United 2 (Mkhitaryan 48, Ibrahimovic 89)
Second-half goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were enough for Manchester United to progress into the last 32 of the Europa League.
But Jose Mourinho's side finish as runners-up in Group A behind group winners Fenerbahce, and will not be seeded in Monday's draw in Nyon,
On a freezing evening in Odessa, and on a rock-hard Chornomorets Stadium pitch that match officials deemed fit to play only this afternoon, Mkhitaryan shone while others stumbled.
The Armenian playmaker opened the scoring three minutes into the second half with a cool run and finish, his first goal for United in 11 matches since his summer move from Borussia Dortmund.
And Paul Pogba set up Ibrahimovic beautifully for a the second on 88 minutes, the Swede's 13th goal of the season and seventh in his last six games.
TALKING POINT
Will Eric Bailly start against Tottenham on Sunday?
Bailly has been sidelined since suffering an ankle injury in United’s 4-0 defeat at Chelsea in October, but the Ivory Coast international was a calming presence in a makeshift United back four against Zorya.
Manager Jose Mourinho may have viewed this match in Odessa as a chance to give his £30m summer signing from Villarreal some match time, but the 22-year-old will be out for around a month when he goes to the African Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast in January. So why not get their money's worth out of him, starting with the Premier League clash with Tottenham at Old Trafford on Sunday?
MAN OF THE MATCH
Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Manchester United)
The Armenian has worked his way back into manager Jose Mourinho's plans following a disastrous (albeit injury-affected) derby day against Manchester City in September, and this was another impressive performance in Odessa following a man of the match performance against Feyenoord on matchday five.
The 27-year-old, who scored a hat-trick for Shakhtar Donetsk at the this ground in August 2012, looked at ease on a rock-hard Chornomorets Stadium pitch while other team-mates with lesser technical ability struggled.
PLAYER RATINGS
Zorya Luhansk: Levchenko 7, Opanasenko 7, Sivakov 7, Forster 6, Sukhotskiy 6, Karavaev, 7 Kharatin 6, Chaykovskiy 6, Petriak 6, Ljubenovic 6, Bezborodko 6.. Subs: Grechyshkin 7, Lipartia 6, Bonaventure 8.
Manchester United: Romero 7, Young 6, Bailly 8, Rojo 6, Blind 6, Herrera 7, Pogba 6, Mata 7, Rooney 6, Mkhitaryan 9, Ibrahimovic 7. Subs: Fosu-Mensah 6, Fellaini 6, Lingard 6.
KEY MOMENTS
10' – SAVE! Romero makes a good stop to beat out an Ihor Kharatin effort from the edge of the area following the Zorya throw, then Ivan Petriak shoots into the side netting with the follow-up effort.
38' – SAVE! Young wins a corner down the right off Sukhotskiy. Bailly sees a spectacularly overhead kick from Zlatan's header down from Rooney's corner saved by Levchenko.
45' – SAVE! Rooney steams past Kharatin and shoots on the run from outside the box, but Levchenko tips over. From the corner, Rojo shoots over the bar and that is the last action of the half.
48' – GOAL! Zorya Luhansk 0-1 Manchester United. Mkhitaryan picks the ball up in midfield following a Rojo tackle, nutmegs Forster and then roll the ball past Levchenko. That is the Armenian's first goal for Manchester United, and first since he netted for Dortmund against Stuttgart on 23 April.
73' – SAVE! Romero makes a sharp stop to keep out Sivakov's glancing header from Grechyskin's floated free-kick.
88' – GOAL! Zorya 0-2 Manchester United. Zlatan runs on to a brilliant reverse pass from Poga down the right channel, then rolls the ball beyond Levchenko for his seventh goal in his last six matches.
KEY FACTS
Manchester United are now unbeaten in eight matches involving Ukrainian teams (six wins, two draws), and the win in Odessa brings to an end to a run of five successive away defeats in Europe
The win over Zorya is only United's third win in 14 European away fixtures since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement at the end of the 2012-13 season.
United goalkeeper Sergio Romero has now kept nine clean sheets in 14 appearances for the Red Devils.
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