Football news - Drab Manchester United fire blanks against Valencia
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Updated 02/10/2018 at 22:50 GMT+1
Champions League, Group H, Old Trafford – Manchester United 0 Valencia 0
Manchester United's Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku (R) reacts after a challenge on Valencia's Spanish defender Jose Luis Gaya Pena during the Champions League group H football match between Manchester United and Valencia at Old Trafford in Manchester, nort
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Manchester United produced another anaemic performance as they were held to a 0-0 draw against Valencia in the Champions League.
Jose Mourinho made four changes from Saturday’s disappointing 3-1 defeat at West Ham, with Eric Bailly, Antonio Valencia, Marcus Rashford and Alexis Sanchez returning to the starting XI. However, the changes failed to spark a reaction, with United labouring for large periods
Despite being at home, the United team bus actually arrived late, which meant kick off was delayed, and that seemed to affect the hosts, as they were incredibly sluggish in a tepid first half under the Old Trafford lights, offering next to no threat in attack. It was Valencia’s Gonçalo Guedes who went closest to opening the scoring in a dour first half. However, his well-struck effort flew just over the bar.
After the break, United did improve, and at least created some half chances, with Romelu Lukaku denied by a fine save from Valencia goalkeeper Neto. Michy Batshuayi, on loan from Chelsea, then had Valencia’s best chance, but fired over from a good position.
Rashford, who was United’s most lively player on the night, hit the crossbar late on, but it would have been an undeserved victory for an off-colour United.
Four points from their two opening Champions League matches is a decent return, but this draw provided more questions than answers for Jose Mourinho, who has now gone four consecutive home games in all competitions without a win for the first time in his managerial career.
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Goncalo Guedes of Valencia is challenged by Nemanja Matic of Manchester United during the Group H match of the UEFA Champions League between Manchester United and Valencia at Old Trafford on October 2, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom
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TALKING POINT
How long does Alexis Sanchez get to prove himself? Sanchez has not scored for United since the last day of March. Having been omitted from the side at the weekend, Sanchez was back in the starting line up against Valencia, but again flattered to deceive. Losing possession is nothing new to Sanchez, as his game revolves around bringing to the attack to the opposition time and time again. At Arsenal, he would have an end product on occasion, but for United, it has not worked out. Mourinho hung his hat on the Chile international when he brought him to Old Trafford, in the hope he could revitalise the sleeping giant - instead Sanchez could bring Mourinho down with him.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Marcus Rashford. No other player in red showed anything like the impetus that Rashford did at Old Trafford. The England international fired six shots at goal, even though he had to create many of the openings himself. Lukaku was providing no outlet, while Sanchez continued to flounder on the other flank. With some help, Rashford could have helped contribute to a vital victory.
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Manchester United's English striker Marcus Rashford vies with Valencia's Italian defender Cristiano Piccini (L) during the Champions League group H football match between Manchester United and Valencia at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on
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PLAYER RATINGS
Manchester United: De Gea 6, Valencia 5, Smalling 6, Bailly 6, Shaw 6, Fellaini 5, Matic 5, Pogba 5, Rashford 8, Lukaku 3, Sanchez 3... Subs: Martial 6.
Valencia: Neto 7, Piccini 7, Garay 6, Gabriel 6, Gaya 7, Coquelin 7, Kondogbia 7, Parejo 7, Guedes 8, Rodrigo 7, Batshuayi 6... Subs: Soler N/A, Gameiro 6, Cherysev N/A.
KEY MOMENTS
16’ - CLOSE! Rashford bursts into life, darts through a small gap on the left-hand side of the penalty area, fires for goal, but it flies just wide.
45+2’ - CLOSE! Great movement from Guedes to cut inside, he fires for goal, but it flies just over. United are leaving far too much space here.
49’ - CLOSE! Again it is that man Guedes. Rodrigo plays the ball back to the Portuguese, but again he curls wide. Warning signs there for United.
67’ - CHANCE! Probably the best chance of the game falls to Batshuayi after Piccini had got the better of Pogba far too easily before whipping a ball into the middle, which Guedes controlled for Batshuayi, but the man on loan from Chelsea blazed over.
71’ - SAVE! The best United have produced so far. Simple ball from Pogba over the top, Lukaku is onto it, he cuts onto his left foot, fires for goal, but Neto makes a smart stop.
87’ - WOODWORK! As close as United have come. From the resulting free kick after Martial was upended, Rashford fires for goal from the tightest of angles, with tremendous power, but the ball clips the top of the crossbar and flies over.
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Michy Batshuayi of Valencia looks on as Eric Bailly of Manchester United goes down injured during the Group H match of the UEFA Champions League between Manchester United and Valencia at Old Trafford on October 2, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom.
Image credit: Getty Images
KEY STATS
- United are winless in their last four games in all competitions at Old Trafford; their longest such run since December 2015 (under Louis Van Gaal).
- This was just Valencia’s second draw in their last 18 group games in the Champions League (W8 D8), with the previous one coming back in November 2012 against Bayern Munich (1-1).
- Manchester United have faced Valencia on more occasions without losing than any other Champions League opponent (P7 W2 D5 L0).
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