Rooney Helps Moyes to First Home Champions League Win

Article by Adam Stephens

Moyes started his United Champions League managerial career with a win at home but Leverkusen were very much in the game for long periods on the evening until Wayne Rooney joined Sir Bobby Charlton, Dennis Law and Jack Rowley on 200 goals for United by scoring the first and third goal. When interviewed after the match Rooney said: “It has gone quickly my time here. I am really pleased to score 200 goals for a club like Manchester United, it is a great honour." BBC Sport Text Commentary Tuesday 17th September .

He needed an element of fortune for the opening goal, with Evra called marginally onside providing the cross Rooney’s miss hit volley into the net after Valencia appeared to be blocking him in. His second goal meanwhile came as a result of poor defending from Bayer Leverkusen but his anticipation was first class giving the goalkeeper the eyes, and bent it into the near post. The other two United goals came from a trademark Robin Van Persie volley from a Valencia cross leaving the 21 year old German Goalkeeper flapping at nothing but air. While the fourth came from a team goal “There was only four or five touches before it went into the back of the net. United showed pace, power and movement." BBC Text Commentary Tuesday 17th September . Finished off by Valencia. Leverkusen proved neat a tidy in possession but lacked cutting edge in the first half but caused plenty of problems for at times shaky United defence. In the second half. Rofles scored from a deflected strike leading De Gea stranded just moments after United could have gone 2-0 had not Rooney missed an open net. Whilst Levakusan themselves could have levelled through Bender strike just before the third Rooney goal. They also conceded a needless second goal by De Gea making complete hash of a cheap corner given away before being turned in by Omer Toprak. There was even still time for Van Persie to have the final say however turning a drilled cross from Valencia wide past the unguarded net.

These few defensive blips aside, Manchester United proved a highly satisfactory first adventure in the Champions league for David Moyes, with Rooney back to his goal scoring best, Fellani looking assured in the centre of midfield and Valencia providing more confident running and taking on defenders especially for the second goal. Overall it was job done and onto the next task, the minor challenge of the noisy neighbours.

Man Utd: De Gea, Smalling, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Fellaini (Cleverley 80), Kagawa,(Young 70) Rooney (Hernandez 83), van Persie. Subs: Lindegaard, Evans, Anderson, Hernandez, Young, Fabio Da Silva, Cleverley.

Bayer Leverkusen: Leno, Donati, Spahic, Toprak, Boenisch, Can, Reinartz, Rolfes, Sam,(Kruse 78) Kiessling,(Derdiyok 78) Son.(Bender 63) Subs: Palop, Wollscheid, Bender, Derdiyok, Hilbert, Oztunali, Kruse.

Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia)