Marcus Rashford scores twice as Manchester United survive big scare against Omonia Nicosia in Europa League

Faced with the major embarrassment of losing to Omonia, Manchester United settled for the minor embarrassment of merely conceding an awful goal, before goals from Marcus Rashford, who got two, and Anthony Martial - both of them on as subs - clinched an important win.

United started well and spurned various excellent chances to take the lead. Then, on 34 minutes and following a United free-kick, Bruno broke downfield, there was no cover, fed Karim Ansarifard, and he lashed a tremendous shot into the roof of the net for a goal no team, at any level should concede, ever.

Presumably Erik ten Hag shared words and sentiments at half-time, and on 53 minutes Rashford curled home a delicious equaliser then, moments after coming on, Anthony Martial drove home an equally tasty finish. Rashford then added a third that looked like a clincher, but seconds later, Nikolaos Panagiotou pulled one back as United lost concentration to reanimate the match.

But United escaped, just - though the same lack of care and attention that characterised them under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer remains the case now Ten Hag is in charge.

Anthony Martial has had a Manchester United career, and had he done well on loan at Sevilla last season, he'd probably have moved there permanently. But he did not so ended up staying at United, partly because no decent offers came in for him from anywhere else and partly because United ended up spending their money on strengthening in positions other than his.

Now, though, he looks an essential part of any fully functioning United side. Cristiano Ronaldo can occasionally do good things, but is finished as a consistent force, while Marcus Rashford is better coming off the left. Martial, on the other hand - at his best - holds the ball up well, finishes calmly and can beat men, all useful qualities in a centre forward.

As Ten Hag observed in the summer, the talent is there and so too is the place in United's starting XI - the only question is whether Martial can muster up the desire to use one to secure the other.

Scored two, made one, and was a constant threat.

Omonia: Fabiano 7, Matthews 6, Miletic 5, Yuate 6, Lang 6, Lecjaks 4, Diskerud 5, Chralampous 5, Barker 5, Bruno 7, Ansarifad 7. Subs: Loizou 6, Papoulis 6, Kakoulli 6, Bezus 6, Panagiotou 6.

Manchester United: De Gea 5, Dalot 6, Lindelof 5, Martinez 6, Malacia 5,,Casemiro 6, Eriksen 6, Bruno 7, Antony 6, Ronaldo 5, Sancho 4. Subs: Shaw 6, Rashford 8, Martial 7, McTominay 6, Fred 6.

18’ - HERE COME UNITED AGAIN Sancho into Ronaldo who flips around the corner for Bruno ... who lifts over Fabiano and onto the bar, which Miletic heads trying to keep the ball out, then Ronaldo is penalised for a high boot when trying to poke home. Surely a goal is imminent?

27’ - ANTONY IS A PLAYER He ducks infield, uses Lecjaks as a screen, and unfurls a terrific curler that's headed for the far top corner, only for Fabiano to dive to his right and tip around the post. He's having a fine game so far.

34’ - GOAL! Omonia Nicosia 1-0 Manchester United (Ansarifard) We've seen this one before! Who remembers Basaksehir away? Omonia get the free-kick away and Sancho is lax in sticking it back into the box, laying back to Malacia who loses the ball and suddenly Omonia have a break with three on two! Sancho does nothing while Bruno races downfield, feeds in Ansarifard with a terrific pass, and he takes a perfect first touch then lashes a shot high into the roof past De Gea! No team should ever, ever concede a goal like that.

53’ - GOAL! Omonia Nicosia 1-1 Manchester United (Rashford) This is a lovely goal. Fernandes drills a fine diag from the right-back position that Rashford kills, just about and on the stretch. But it's not in stride, so he checks inside Lecjakcs, then as Ronaldo's run takes men away, curls a terrific low shot into the far corner. United's blushes are half-spared.

64’ - GOAL! Omonia Nicosia 1-2 Manchester United (Martial) Another lovely goal from another sub! Martinez plays into Rashford, who flicks off, and Martial nips inside Lecjaks - he's had a tricky night - then drills a low right-footer inside the near post from 20 yards.

69’ - WHAT A MISS! Martinez wasn't concentrating, and he's Bruno is in front of De Gea! But with the ball bouncing up nicely for a lob, all he can do is flick it into the keeper's midriff! What an oversight that is!

85’ - GOAL! Omonia Nicosia 1-3 Manchester United (Rashford) And that seals it! With Omonia pushing up seeking an equaliser, Rashford gets some space and finds Ronaldo at inside left. He drills a low shot that he'll say was a cross, and Rashford taps in at the far post. ten Hag's subs have been excellent today.

United's last five competitive goals have come from substitutes - a club record in the Premier League era, beating the previous record of four in a row from Feb 1999, when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored four when coming on in an 8-1 win at Nottingham Forest.