Walk around Old Trafford ahead of a European night, and your eyes will be drawn to two floodlit statues of managers whose success in UEFA competition turned Manchester United into one of world football’s premier clubs. There’s Sir Alex Ferguson, winner of three European trophies, depicted huddled in a trench coat in front of the stand named for him. Meanwhile Matt Busby, whose United side became the first English winners of the European Cup in 1968, is shown ball at his side outside the East Stand. On Thursday, it was Ruud van Nistelrooy’s time to lead United into a European fixture, the Dutch interim manager watching, arms folded, from his technical area as Amad Diallo’s two goals led United to a much-needed 2-0 win over Greek champions PAOK Thessaloniki.
Since Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, United’s performances in European play have been consistently substandard, the 2017 Europa League Final victory over Ajax the sole highlight in that time. United’s European struggles were especially pronounced under Erik ten Hag, the Dutch manager who was dismissed late last month. During the Dutchman’s reign, Manchester United finished bottom of their group in last season’s Champions League, and had drawn each of their first three fixtures in this year’s Europa League campaign having failed to qualify for UEFA’s top-level tournament. That made Thursday night’s meeting at Old Trafford with PAOK a must-win, with United standing 21st in the expanded Europa League table and only the top eight sides automatically qualifying for the Round of 16.
It was bound to be a memorable occasion for Van Nistelrooy as the only European fixture of his brief interregnum before Rúben Amorim arrives from Sporting CP next week, but the early stars of the show were the PAOK fans, in full voice well before kick-off. Greek supporters had spilled into the sections surrounding the away end, jumping and singing club anthems in areas nominally designated for home fans, including where your correspondent was sitting. The atmosphere was convivial, opposing supporters conversing amicably and exchanging score predictions, and the presence of so many Greeks in the home end seemed to spur United fans to raise their own voices.
The home side dominated possession in the first half but struggled to create any clear opportunities against Razvan Lucescu’s organized PAOK team. The visitors—with former Premier League players Jonny Otto and Baba Rahman in their lineup—packed the middle with black-and-white striped shirts, forcing United to try different tactical configurations to get past the Greeks. A couple of nifty interchanges between the excellent Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes put the hosts in promising positions, but it was PAOK who had the half’s best opportunity with five minutes to the interval. Rahman’s cushioned pass found Guinean midfielder Mady Camara, who controlled delicately then pushed a volleyed shot towards goal which Andre Onana had to tip over the crossbar. PAOK looked the punchier team late in the half and deserved to be level at the break.
If United had been flustered in the first half, they made their surplus in quality work in the second. From the halftime whistle, Van Nistelrooy’s charges turned the PAOK penalty box into a shooting range, and got their reward for upping the intensity less than five minutes from the restart. Fernandes’ cross found Amad Diallo unmarked at the back post, the diminutive Ivorian looping his header just inside the frame of the goal to open the scoring. Amad could’ve doubled the lead a few minutes later when he latched onto a delightful through ball from Fernandes but his effort stranded in the legs of PAOK keeper Dominik Kotarski. United were sitting off more after taking the lead, allowing the visitors possession and looking sharp on the counterattack.
For all United’s second-half improvement PAOK had a golden chance to equalize just after the hour mark, when striker Tarik Tissoudali was left unattended in the penalty area and had a one on one opportunity against Onana. United were let off the hook by the Moroccan’s tame effort but required a flash of individual brilliance to seal the points. Again it was Amad, stripping Rahman of the ball on the right flank before jinking towards the edge of the penalty area and bending a stunning strike beyond Kotarski to get Old Trafford roaring with delight at the club’s first European win in over a year. There was one more moment of warm applause when PAOK brought on Shola Shoretire, a United youth product with two first-team appearances who moved to Greece in the summer, for a late substitute appearance. United will be hoping applause is something in greater supply in the coming Amorim era.
Inthehalfspace 