Europa League
Man UtdManchester United1Zorya LuhanskZorya Luhansk0

Manchester United 1-0 Zorya Luhansk

By Jonathan JurejkoBBC Sport
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Ibrahimovic won the game with his sixth goal since arriving from Paris St-Germain in the summer

Manchester United climbed off the bottom of their Europa League group with an uninspiring win over Ukrainian minnows Zorya Luhansk.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the second-half winner with his first goal in five matches, nodding in substitute Wayne Rooney's mis-hit shot at the far post.

It was United's first effort on target, despite dominating at Old Trafford.

Zorya offered little threat, although Sergio Romero had to be alert to save Paulinho's shot just before the winner.

Relive how Manchester United edged past Zorya Luhansk

The Red Devils are among the favourites to win Europe's secondary club competition, but started the evening at the bottom of Group A following a 1-0 defeat at Dutch side Feyenoord in their opening match.

And for more than an hour it looked as though Jose Mourinho's men would stay there.

Despite hogging over 70% of possession, United were slow and ponderous in the final third as Zorya's well-drilled defence held firm.

But Zorya, making their debut in the Europa League group stage, were undone inside two minutes of Rooney's introduction.

United move up to third, level on three points with Feyenoord and one adrift of Turkish leaders Fenerbahce, who travel to Old Trafford on 20 October in the next round of games.

Rooney makes inadvertent impact

Rooney had been expected to be restored to the United starting XI after being dropped for the Premier League win against Leicester last weekend.

But Mourinho's plan to recall the England skipper was scuppered by a minor back injury.

The United manager decided that continuity was the policy in his absence, sticking with the attacking quartet - Ibrahimovic, Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata - that started Saturday's 4-1 win.

However, they offered little spark against a visiting side that finished fourth in the Ukrainian Premier League last season.

Rooney was summoned from the bench with 25 minutes left and inadvertently set up the winner, as the ball struck his knee and bounced up off the ground for Ibrahimovic to head in at the far post.

"Wayne gave us different positions and speed when the opposing team was getting tired," said Mourinho.

Wayne Rooney
Rooney needs one goal to equal Ruud van Nistlerooy's club record of 38 in European competitions

Mourinho remaining level-headed

Mourinho, who replaced Louis van Gaal in the summer, questioned the character of his United side earlier this month after they suffered three straight defeats against Manchester City, Feyenoord and Watford.

But they have bounced back with three successive wins, beating Zorya after victories against Northampton in the EFL Cup and Leicester in the Premier League.

"One week, three defeats. One week, three victories. But I was not depressed by the defeats and I am not over the moon with three wins," said the 53-year-old Portuguese.

"It was difficult. We had our chances in the first half, we could have scored and it would have been a different match. But we didn't.

"They kept organised and had plenty of players behind the ball but with players ready to do something on the counter-attack. It was difficult and we needed to win."

Post-match reaction

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic:

"It was not an easy game. We played well, created chances, but this is a typical game. When you don't score in the beginning, the spaces get smaller and smaller. After the goal, we had more space but it was a decent game. We won and that is what counts after losing against Feyenoord.

"We could have done much more though, and I expect much more from the team. We did not score as we did against Leicester but it is good for confidence. If we continue this and step it up, we will do good."

What's next?

Back to the Premier League and back to Old Trafford for Manchester United. The sixth-placed side host Stoke, who are second bottom and winless, on Sunday (12:00 BST).

Line-ups

Man Utd

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 20Romero
  • 24Fosu-MensahSubstituted forMartialat 74'minutes
  • 3BaillyBooked at 63mins
  • 12Smalling
  • 5Rojo
  • 27Fellaini
  • 6Pogba
  • 14LingardSubstituted forRooneyat 67'minutes
  • 8MataSubstituted forYoungat 74'minutes
  • 19Rashford
  • 9Ibrahimovic

Substitutes

  • 7Depay
  • 10Rooney
  • 11Martial
  • 16Carrick
  • 18Young
  • 28Schneiderlin
  • 32Johnstone

Zorya Luhansk

Formation 4-4-1-1

  • 1Shevchenko
  • 6KamenyukaBooked at 90mins
  • 3Sivakov
  • 12Forster
  • 95Sobol
  • 20Karavayev
  • 24Grechyshkin
  • 4ChaykovskySubstituted forGordienkoat 80'minutes
  • 7Petryak
  • 22LjubenovicSubstituted forLipartiaat 76'minutes
  • 9KulachSubstituted forde Menezes Meloat 60'minutes

Substitutes

  • 2Sukhotsky
  • 5Gordienko
  • 10Lipartia
  • 11de Menezes Melo
  • 39Opanasenko
  • 44Checher
  • 77Chuvaev
Referee:
Orel Grinfeld
Attendance:
58,179

Match Stats

Home TeamMan UtdAway TeamZorya Luhansk
Possession
Home72%
Away28%
Shots
Home15
Away8
Shots on Target
Home2
Away1
Corners
Home9
Away4
Fouls
Home11
Away9

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Manchester United 1, Zorya Luhansk 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Manchester United 1, Zorya Luhansk 0.

  3. Post update

    Attempt missed. Ivan Petryak (Zorya Luhansk) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left following a set piece situation.

  4. Post update

    Foul by Marcos Rojo (Manchester United).

  5. Post update

    Oleksandr Karavayev (Zorya Luhansk) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  6. Post update

    Attempt missed. Paul Pogba (Manchester United) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

  7. Post update

    Paul Pogba (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  8. Post update

    Foul by Jaba Lipartia (Zorya Luhansk).

  9. Booking

    Mykyta Kamenyuka (Zorya Luhansk) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  10. Post update

    Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  11. Post update

    Foul by Mykyta Kamenyuka (Zorya Luhansk).

  12. Post update

    Attempt saved. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.

  13. Post update

    Anthony Martial (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  14. Post update

    Foul by Rafael Forster (Zorya Luhansk).

  15. Post update

    Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  16. Post update

    Foul by Rafael Forster (Zorya Luhansk).

  17. Post update

    Attempt missed. Oleksandr Karavayev (Zorya Luhansk) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Paulinho with a cross.

  18. Post update

    Attempt missed. Paulinho (Zorya Luhansk) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Mykyta Kamenyuka with a cross.

  19. Post update

    Attempt missed. Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Wayne Rooney with a cross following a corner.

  20. Post update

    Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by Mikhail Sivakov.

Scores, Results & Fixtures

Thursday 29th September 2016

As It Stood

A

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Fenerbahçe21102114
2Feyenoord21011103
3Man Utd21011103
4Zorya Luhansk201112-11

B

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Apoel Nicosia22003126
2Olympiakos21011103
3FC Astana201112-11
4BSC Young Boys201101-11

C

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Anderlecht21104224
2Mainz21104314
3Saint-Étienne20202202
4FK Qabala200236-30

D

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Zenit St Petersburg22009366
2Dundalk21102114
3AZ Alkmaar201116-51
4Maccabi Tel-Aviv200235-20

E

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Roma21105144
2Austria Vienna21103214
3Viktoria Plzen20201102
4Astra Giurgiu200227-50

F

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1KRC Genk21015413
2Sassuolo21014313
3Rapid Vienna21013303
4Ath Bilbao210113-23

G

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Ajax22003126
2Celta Vigo21103124
3Standard Liege201112-11
4Panathinaikos200214-30

H

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Shakhtar Donetsk22003036
2KAA Gent21103124
3Sporting Braga201113-21
4Konyaspor200203-30

I

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1FK Krasnodar22006246
2Schalke22004136
3RB Salzburg200214-30
4Nice200226-40

J

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Fiorentina21105144
2PAOK Salonika21102114
3Slovan Liberec201134-11
4FK Qarabag201137-41

K

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Southampton21103034
2Hapoel Be'er Sheva21102024
3Sparta Prague210134-13
4Inter Milan200215-40

L

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Villarreal21103214
2Osmanlispor21013213
3FC Zürich21013303
4FCSB201113-21
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