Manchester United came from behind to defeat Omonia in Europa League action, with goals from substitutes Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial. The former scored twice and the latter scored a crucial goal to send the Red Devils to victory in Omonia vs Man United.
United dominated the first 20 minutes, with 82% possession, eight shots on goal, and 220 passes completed compared to Omonia’s 51.
Despite all of their pressure in and around Omonia’s box, they couldn’t find the back of the net, with Ronaldo and Antony both coming the closest to scoring in the first 45 minutes, only to be denied by goalkeeper Fabinho with impressive saves.
Tyrell Malacia was substituted at halftime in the weekend’s 6-3 loss to Manchester City and was replaced again tonight after losing the ball in Omonia’s half, resulting in a brilliant counter-attacking goal from the home side. With United outnumbered, Bruno Felipe picked up the ball and ran, playing the perfect pass to Karim Ansarifard, who took a touch and rifled his shot past De Get.
Ten Hag made his own substitutions in the second half, bringing on Rashford and Martial, both of whom made an immediate impact.
Rashford finished the night with two goals and an assist, while Martial did what Ronaldo couldn’t all night and found the back of the net in 63 minutes.
In Omonia vs Man United, Omonia mounted their late comeback with five minutes remaining, thanks to Nikolas Panayiotou’s instant response to Rashford’s second a minute earlier. But the Red Devils held on to earn a crucial three points and advance to the knockout stages.
Ronaldo’s pursuit of his 700th goal continues.
Ten Hag stated this week that Ronaldo is “p*ssed off when he’s not playing.” You could argue that he’ll be even more irritated after failing to find the back of the net tonight. The Portuguese is one goal away from reaching the ridiculous 700 club goal mark, but it wasn’t going to happen tonight against what was supposed to be easy opposition.
The 37-year-old looked lively throughout the first half but was denied by Fabinho with a strong save from a powerful shot at a tight angle, and Ronaldo saw more chances go begging as the game progressed.
When it seemed easier to miss from six yards out, he blasted a free-kick over the bar, found the side netting, and curled one a few inches wide of the post in the dying minutes. Although Diogo Dalot appeared to have a good chance to score himself, he passed up the opportunity to slide into an open net and instead found Ronaldo on the doorstep.
Ronaldo did provide a nice assist, though some might argue he was going for the goal himself, to set up Rashford for his second goal. The former Real Madrid man was all smiles (cheeky ones, it appeared), but he’ll be disappointed that he didn’t reach the 700 mark and prove to Ten Hag that he should never have been left out of facing City.
Rashford and Martial discover form
If you needed any proof that Rashford is returning to form, consider the fact that he has already matched his goal total from last season (5). Perhaps it has something to do with the upcoming World Cup, or perhaps it is a new lease on life under new management. Whatever it is, Rashford appears eager to make a statement. At times, he combined brilliantly with Ronaldo, and once Martial was introduced to the attacking front line, the England forward was the focal point that kept things moving up front.
“The left side is probably more natural for me, but I enjoy playing both [left wing and centre forward] and contributing to the team,” Rashford said. “You never know what might happen or where you might be needed to play if we have injuries.”
He also praised Martial, who added to his brace against City over the weekend with another from the bench tonight. “He’s been a huge player for us for a long time,” Rashford said. “He is an incredible player when he is happy and at his best. We’ve both been injured, him for longer than me, so it’s important for him to get some playing time and make an impact.”
Omonia vs Man United final score
| 1H | 2H | Final | |
| Omonia | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Man Utd | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Goals:
34th min — OMO — Ansarifard
53rd min — MUN — Rashford
63rd min — MUN — Martial
84th min — MUN — Rashford
85th min — OMO — Panaiotou
Omonia vs Man United WEB STORIES