Manchester United travelled to Switzerland to take on current Swiss League table toppers Young Boys in their opening encounter of the Champions League. Everyone expected a dominant performance from the Red Devils, and that is what they delivered. To be fair, Young Boys did start off well and enjoyed a good spell of possession early on, but United and especially Paul Pogba, were too hot to handle on the night as they secured a comfortable 3-0 win.
The French midfielder was handed the captain’s armband and opened the scoring with a brilliantly taken goal from the edge of the box where he used his quick feet to great effect. His second goal came about from a penalty, and Anthony Martial added the third to wrap up an assured win.
This is how Mourinho’s men fared on the night.
David De Gea 7
Was his usual self and made some smart saves in the first half when the score was level.
Luke Shaw 7
The Englishman’s resurgence continues as he was brilliant while going forward while looking assured at the back. Won the penalty which Pogba converted.
Chris Smalling 7
The experienced defender led the back line well and made some crucial interceptions and blocks.
Victor Lindelof 6
One can understand why he hasn’t been able to establish himself at the Old Trafford as he looked shaky. Got better as the game moved on. The Swede will have to pull his socks up as sterner tests await him in the future.
Diogo Dalot 7
The young right-back finally got his debut and looked confident while going forward. Was caught out of position defensively on some occasions, but overall a credible performance in his first appearance.
Fred 5
The new signing struggled especially in the first half and Mourinho would be a worried man to see him perform so incompetently against a mediocre side.
Nemanja Matic 6
Started off the game slow but slowly improved. Could have been more creative with his distribution but overall a typical Matic performance.
Paul Pogba 8.5
A strong performance from the Frenchman and he scored against the run of play around the half-hour mark to calm down the nerves of his side. After the goal on the board, the team settled down, and soon Pogba added another one from the spot to take the sting out of the game entirely.
Anthony Martial 6
The Frenchman was having an average night before he scored his first goal since January. His stint on the bench is likely to continue in more prominent fixtures as he didn’t show much to impress his manager.
Romelu Lukaku 6
Didn’t get many deliveries or passes to feed on but put in a decent shift like always.
Marcus Rashford 5
Starting on the right flank doesn’t seem to suit the Englishman, and he struggled to conjure up anything for the most of the game. Did strike the crossbar with a smart effort.
Substitutes
Andreas Pereira 6
Kept things tight in midfield after coming on and looked eager to showcase his worth.
Juan Mata N/A
Didn’t play enough to warrant a rating.
Marouane Fellaini N/A
Didn’t play enough to warrant a rating.
