Manchester United shook off a rusty opening 45 minutes to turn Romanian outfit FCSB over and secure progression to the knockout stages of the Europa League.
Diogo Dalot broke the deadlock at the hour mark, converting a cross from Mainoo. Eight minutes later, provided turned scorer as Mainoo tapped in a sublime delivery from Alejandro Garnacho to secure the victory for the visitors.
United had 70% possession in comparison to FCSB’s 30% share of the ball.
The Red Devils managed seven shots on target from their total 21 cracks at goal. FCSB attempted eight shots, with three of these requiring Andre Onana to intervene.
Ruben Amorim’s men put together 667 passes with a pass accuracy of 88%. FCSB strung 288 passes with a completion rate of 74%.
There were multiple good performers for United including the two goalscorers, Toby Collyer who was substituted during the break, Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt and of course, Martinez.
Martinez has been in fine form over the past few games and he extended this run with another superb display for his side.
Slotting on the left side of a three-man defence, Martinez was solid defensively but even more impressive was how he consistently stepped up into the spaces to help the team attack.
He regularly ventured into midfield, from where he delivered quality passes and conducted the game.
During the 71 minutes he was on the pitch, Martinez made three clearances and one interception. He won the one ground duel he was required to contest.
The World Cup winner touched the ball 102 times and accurately found his teammates with an astronomic 84 of the 90 passes he attempted.
Three of his passes were key passes. He created one big chance for Mainoo in the first half that should have resulted in a goal for the Red Devils.
Martinez tried to connect with seven long balls and found his intended target four times.
The Argentine fired two shots, both of which were off target. He completed the single dribble he embarked on.
(Stats obtained from Sofascore)
Martinez certainly seems to have found his feet under Ruben Amorim. United return to action on Sunday when they host Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.
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Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
