Manchester United 4-1 Fenerbahce: Paul Pogba nets brace as former Red Devil Robin van Persie grabs consolation for Turkish giants
- Paul Pogba scored twice as Manchester United cruised to victory against Fenerbahce at Old Trafford
- The Frenchman scored from the spot to open the scoring before curling the ball home for United's third
- Anthony Martial scored the Red Devils' second with another spot-kick before Jesse Lingard added a fourth
- Former United star Robin van Persie grabbed a consolation for Turkish giants on his return to Manchester
- Victory sees United move to second place in Europa League Group A, behind Feyenoord on head-to-head
Jose Mourinho shook his fist in celebration and pointed towards the directors’ box, where the men who sanctioned Paul Pogba’s world-record transfer to Old Trafford were no doubt sharing in his delight at a quite wonderful goal.
Pogba has struggled to carry the burden of that £89million fee since joining United. We’ve had the flash haircuts, the rap video, even the hashtag (#pogback if you missed it). What we’ve not seen very much of is a young man justifying his price tag and the £230,000-a-week wages that go with it.
He was signed to grace the Champions League, not the Europa League, of course; to beat better teams than this Fenerbahce side.
Paul Pogba coolly curls the ball home to put Manchester United 3-0 up against Fenerbahce in the first half of Thursday's clash
The Frenchman slides on his knees after scoring his second goal of the evening as United claimed three points in Group A
Pogba roars with delight as he is congratulated by defenders Matteo Darmian and Eric Bailly after scoring a brace for United
Pogba sidefoots his penalty into the net to score his first of the evening and put the Red Devils ahead against Turkish giants
United playmaker Juan Mata was brought down by Fenerbahce centre back Simon Kjaer for the first penalty of the evening
Minutes later, Anthony Martial was felled in the area and United were given the chance to double their lead from the spot
Pogba's compatriot Martial expertly fires the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal to give the Red Devils a 2-0 lead
Martial jumps for joy and clenches his fists in celebration during what was a convincing performance from United in Europe
United winger Jesse Lingard rifles the ball home to score the fourth goal of the evening as the Red Devils won comfortably
Goalscorers Pogba and Lingard celebrate with a choreographed dance routine after the latter put the hosts four goals up
Former Manchester United star Robin van Persie nabs a consolation goal past David de Gea for the Turkish giants late on
Van Persie acknowledges the Old Trafford crowd but did not go overboard with a celebration after netting against United
United boss Jose Mourinho clenches his fist in celebration following Pogba's second goal of the evening as United cruised
But there was no taking away from the glorious strike that put this match to bed in the final moments before half-time.
Pogba had already fired United ahead from the penalty spot when Wayne Rooney overlapped on the right and fired a cross to the feet of Jesse Lingard.
Lingard laid it into the Frenchman’s path and Pogba did not hesitate, curling an exquisite shot into the top corner from 25 yards.
Mourinho’s pleasure was plain to see. It was a fantastic team goal and a top finish from a player he knows is under huge pressure to produce more. What will have impressed him just as much was Pogba’s confidence in taking the responsibility off Rooney when United won the first of two penalties inside three minutes in the first half.
There wasn’t too much debate about either decision by French referee Benoit Bastien.
The first was the result of a quite stupendous 40-yard raking pass by Michael Carrick that picked out Juan Mata’s run into the box. The Spaniard’s first-time control was just as good, but there was still no need for Simon Kjaer to put his hands over Mata and drag him to the ground.
Rooney looked as though he wanted to take it, but Pogba stepped in and then stepped forward with an almost comical, stuttering run-up on his tip-toes. It seemed to work, though, sending goalkeeper Volkan Demirel the wrong way before he steered the ball inside the opposite post.
‘I told Wayne I wanted to take the penalty and he let me,’ said the Frenchman. ‘I am very happy to score that penalty and from a player like him to let me is big respect, so I am very glad.’
It was a magnanimous gesture by Rooney to a young team-mate, particularly as he is only three goals behind United’s all-time record scorer Sir Bobby Charlton.
But 12 years after he announced his arrival at Old Trafford with a Champions League hat-trick against Fenerbahce, it could also be seen as a measure of Rooney’s place in the new order.
Wayne Rooney, back in the United starting XI and playing upfront, races away from Fenerbahce midfielder Mehmet Topal
Former United forward Van Persie, who won the Premier League title in 2013, takes on defender Chris Smalling on his return
Former Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel, complete with protective face mask, takes the hands on approach to stop Rooney
Manchester United's record signing Pogba manoeuvres the ball away from Fenerbahce's Alper Potuk during the encounter
Pogba enjoyed a busy evening as he scored twice in United's convincing victory - CLICK HERE for more from our Match Zone
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This was, after all, his first start in five games. He’s one of the Thursday night brigade now. He did not get a sniff of United’s second penalty either.
Mata swivelled to drill a pass into the path of Anthony Martial, who was going clear of Sener Ozbayrakli as he was sent crashing to the floor.
Pogba and Rooney stood aside to let Martial take the penalty and he buried it in exactly the same place, despite Demirel guessing the right way this time.
Fenerbahce’s best chance of the first half fell to Souza from a breakaway in the 37th minute. He cut inside Eric Bailly’s desperate lunge but David de Gea stood his ground in the United goal and saved with his legs. Victory was subsequently assured when Pogba struck that beauty in first-half injury-time, and the second period was little more than two minutes old when Lingard added a fourth for United.
Pogba played a pass into Rooney on the edge of the box and he came up with his second assist of the night with a lay-off that invited Lingard to shoot from 20 yards. The finish was clinical, dispatched into the bottom left-hand corner.
Former United favourite Robin van Persie got almost as big a cheer when he pulled one back in the 84th minute, turning Emmanuel Emenike’s cross home from close-range.
The Dutchman responded by saluting all four sides of the ground. It was a nice touch but this was a night when a new United hero finally began to emerge.
United right back Darmian steps forward and nips in to rob the ball from Fenerbahce's Volkan Sen as Jesse Lingard closes in
Defender Bailly keeps his composure to draw the ball away from Van Persie who later went on to score against his old club
United left back Luke Shaw, making his first start since last month, sticks out a boot to stop a forward Fenerbahce pass
Van Persie received a warm welcome from the home support and may have scored but cuts a dejected figure during the loss
United boss Mourinho shares a joke with Fenerbahce manager Dick Advocaat, formerly of Sunderland, ahead of kick-off
Former England manager Sam Allardyce was a guest of Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford for Thursday night's encounter
Mata swivelled to drill a pass into the path of Anthony Martial, who was going clear of Sener Ozbayrakli as he was sent crashing to the floor.
Pogba and Rooney stood aside to let Martial take the penalty and he buried it in exactly the same place, despite Demirel guessing the right way this time.
Fenerbahce’s best chance of the first half fell to Souza from a breakaway in the 37th minute. He cut inside Eric Bailly’s desperate lunge but David de Gea stood his ground in the United goal and saved with his legs. Victory was subsequently assured when Pogba struck that beauty in first-half injury-time, and the second period was little more than two minutes old when Lingard added a fourth for United.
Pogba played a pass into Rooney on the edge of the box and he came up with his second assist of the night with a lay-off that invited Lingard to shoot from 20 yards. The finish was clinical, dispatched into the bottom left-hand corner.
Former United favourite Robin van Persie got almost as big a cheer when he pulled one back in the 84th minute, turning Emmanuel Emenike’s cross home from close-range.
The Dutchman responded by saluting all four sides of the ground. It was a nice touch but this was a night when a new United hero finally began to emerge.
