Man Utd 3 Partizan 0: Greenwood, Martial and Rashford shine as Solskjaer’s side find shooting boots – The Sun

OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER said he didn't want Partizan to remember this night with joy.

It is fair to say they won’t.

He also called on his team to ‘fill their boots’ with goals.

They should have, with more than the three they scored in this Europa League group game.

Manchester United could have had six by the break and Marcus Rashford four of them.

As it was another class finish from Mason Greenwood in the 20th minute, and a 33rd minute Anthony Martial goal gave them the platform for victory.

When Rashford did find the net it was another spectacular strike from him four minutes after half-time.

It was the first time they have scored two at home in the first half of a game at Old Trafford since January of this year.

Also their best result since beating Chelsea 4-0 on the opening day of the season.

The victory qualifies them for the next stage of the competition with two Group L games to spare

So Europa League no problem, still, Premier League not so easy.

Indeed Jose Mourinho realised that in 2016-17 when he prioritised this competition late in the season.

He saw winning it as much easier than getting into the top four and it is certainly looking like that again. The standard is not high.

United are ten points off those Champions League places in tenth place in the Premier League already, with no suggestion that is going to get any better.

But while they take one step forward and two back domestically they have marched through Europa League Group L with three wins and a draw.

So Solskjaer can put out second teams away to Astana on November 28 and at home to AZ Alkmaar at Old Trafford on December 12.

Good luck in pushing the tickets for that one.

Solskjaer will benefit because he will be able to rest his best players for subsequent league games on the Sunday’s at home to Aston Villa and Everton.

Both those should provide the opportunity for three points. I say should but with United these days nothing is a given.

Except in the Europa League of course.

Congratulations to them for negotiating the group stage so well.

But this is not a competition that provides a baramoter as to where your club is at – even if you win it.

Some of the opponents have the most experienced United travellers scrambling for Google maps.

Still you can only beat what’s in front of you and United have done that twice against Partizan, once against Astana, with a goalless draw in Alkmaar thrown in.

While they had to weather a storm in Belgrade a fortnight ago it was waves of Red crashing down on the visitors for this return.

The opener came thanks to a superb crossfield ball from Rashford which dissected the visitors defence and found Greenwood.

So good he is with two feet that the teenager can adeptly switch the ball from one to the other to leave his marker going this way and that.

It was the same with his goal against AZ Alkmaar in the opening group game and last night, as he moved from his right to his left and fired home.

Credit Greenwood for making the second too.

He charged down a clearance from Nemanja Miletic and the ball broke to Martial.

The Frenchman then showed that spark that we see too little of as he set of weaving his way into the box before flicking the ball past the advancing goalkeeper.

Rashford should really have added his name to the first half scorers but kept finding the goalkeeper or fired wide.

The simple ones seem to be a problem, but he does love the spectacular.

We saw that with his winning free-kick in the Carabao Cup away to Chlesea and again last night.

Juan Mata sent a crossfield ball to Ashley Young who rolled it into Rashford’s path and the finish was so sweet rifling the ball into the near top corner.

His fifth goals in his last five starts.

So all sorted, before we go later this month to Astana, or should I say Nur-Sultan as it has been called since March of this year.

A City which has been Kazakhstan’s capital since 1997.

The Stadium is covered and heated, thankfully.

However, if you stick your nose outside the hotel window during that trip it is likely to fall off with the temperature set to be minus 12 with the wind chill factor taking it further down to minus 20.

I may never complain about the weather in Manchester again.

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