Paul Pogba hits double as Manchester United start with win at Young Boys
The mental edge José Mourinho praised in the build-up was evident in a Manchester United victory which must surely be the template for the season.
Fast, cold-eyed and a concerted unit: these were the key components in how the visitors downed Young Boys on an artificial pitch flagged up as awkward but which proved a slick surface for United to show their class.
Mourinho made five changes from the Watford game. There was a rare rest for Alexis Sánchez – he was a substitute – and a debut for Diogo Dalot, the 19-year-old summer signing from Porto having recovered from a knee injury.
Luke Shaw, Fred, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford were the other additions as United hoped to record a third successive win, this against an opposition crowned Swiss champions for a first time in 32 years.
Gerardo Seoane sent his Young Boys team out in the 4-4-2 that had won their opening six leagues in a unbeaten start of 10 games.
Their fierce support ensured a near-cauldron atmosphere and the home team’s yellow colours that virtually filled the Stade de Suisse called to mind Borussia Dortmund’s fan wall.
A slip by Shaw seconds after kick-off might have been due to the plastic surface – but there was no shakiness in the cross Dalot later fired in at Romelu Lukaku which led to the first corner.
Young Boys broke quickly from it and this was repeated when Rashford swung in another from the opposite flank. Kevin Mbabu streaked out from right-back and left Fred on his backside before Dalot scrambled away.
This meant a near-breathless start which almost featured the sides as boxers punching and taking counters in a bid to gain ascendancy.
Mbabu again showed why he is attracting attention from some of the continent’s bigger names by whipping in a cross that found Guillaume Hoarau’s head and though the No 99 beat David de Gea the ball skidded the wrong side of the right post.
Mourinho talked Dalot up beforehand by pointing to how he played for Porto against Liverpool at Anfield last year, and the defender made an eye-catching start to his United career.
He was alert in defence and eager to rove forward and even when miscontrolling had the strength and pace to outstrip the home defence to retrieve possession and ping in another cross.
United’s quality was also illustrated in a Paul Pogba pass that slipped Lukuku in but his shot missed David von Ballmoos’s goal. Mohamed Ali Camara had no similar issue when unloading a 25-yard effort that warmed De Gea’s fingers for a corner.
Pace remained a component of what was a fine first half as it moved to the 30-minute mark. When a Shaw ball was hit instantly by Rashford it clipped David von Ballmoos’s right post to cause a Mourinho eyeroll.
Mourinho would have felt relief when Christian Fassnacht failed to make Dalot pay for a first error. The right-back hesitated and allowed the wide man to get ahead of him. Then the No 16’s twist left Dalot on the floor and Victor Lindelöf was needed to block the subsequent attempt.
Still, United headed into the interval with a priceless 2-0 lead as Shaw, Martial, Fred and Pogba all combined before some Fred Astaire-like footwork from the latter ended in Von Ballmoos being beaten by a slick left-foot finish.
This left Mourinho motionless but he was a picture of delight when Pogba coolly doubled the lead from the spot. Deniz Ayetkin awarded the penalty after he adjudged Shaw’s cross to have been handled by Mbabu.
It looked harsh but United hardly cared. This had been their most clinical display so far this campaign and Mourinho’s half-time order was surely to make sure they kept on keeping on.
Martial suggested they would by spinning his man with ease and racing at a flat-footed rearguard that only just managed to recover. The attacker was again the player to trouble Young Boys when, this time moving along the right, he found Rashford but the No 10’s intended pass to Lukaku lost the ball.
Moments before, Lukaku might have scored when slipped in by Rashford but he fluffed the chance yet it was clear was how dominant the visitors had become. At this juncture the only danger was complacency and there was a wake-up call when Assalé was fed in the area and for a moment looked to have pulled a goal back.
Yet the kind of evening this was for United was summed up by Martial – who has been at loggerheads with the manager– registering the third from a clever pass from the outstanding Pogba. This came on 66 minutes and a little later Mourinho decided Fred and Rashford could be protected as he replaced them with Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini.
Martial’s goal was his first since 20 January at Burnley. This will please the forward and manager and given that Mourinho had lost his previous two matches in Switzerland, there is further succour here.
Mourinho made five changes from the Watford game. There was a rare rest for Alexis Sánchez – he was a substitute – and a debut for Diogo Dalot, the 19-year-old summer signing from Porto having recovered from a knee injury.
Luke Shaw, Fred, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford were the other additions as United hoped to record a third successive win, this against an opposition crowned Swiss champions for a first time in 32 years.
Gerardo Seoane sent his Young Boys team out in the 4-4-2 that had won their opening six leagues in a unbeaten start of 10 games.
Their fierce support ensured a near-cauldron atmosphere and the home team’s yellow colours that virtually filled the Stade de Suisse called to mind Borussia Dortmund’s fan wall.
A slip by Shaw seconds after kick-off might have been due to the plastic surface – but there was no shakiness in the cross Dalot later fired in at Romelu Lukaku which led to the first corner.
Young Boys broke quickly from it and this was repeated when Rashford swung in another from the opposite flank. Kevin Mbabu streaked out from right-back and left Fred on his backside before Dalot scrambled away.
This meant a near-breathless start which almost featured the sides as boxers punching and taking counters in a bid to gain ascendancy.
Mbabu again showed why he is attracting attention from some of the continent’s bigger names by whipping in a cross that found Guillaume Hoarau’s head and though the No 99 beat David de Gea the ball skidded the wrong side of the right post.
Mourinho talked Dalot up beforehand by pointing to how he played for Porto against Liverpool at Anfield last year, and the defender made an eye-catching start to his United career.
He was alert in defence and eager to rove forward and even when miscontrolling had the strength and pace to outstrip the home defence to retrieve possession and ping in another cross.
United’s quality was also illustrated in a Paul Pogba pass that slipped Lukuku in but his shot missed David von Ballmoos’s goal. Mohamed Ali Camara had no similar issue when unloading a 25-yard effort that warmed De Gea’s fingers for a corner.
Pace remained a component of what was a fine first half as it moved to the 30-minute mark. When a Shaw ball was hit instantly by Rashford it clipped David von Ballmoos’s right post to cause a Mourinho eyeroll.
Mourinho would have felt relief when Christian Fassnacht failed to make Dalot pay for a first error. The right-back hesitated and allowed the wide man to get ahead of him. Then the No 16’s twist left Dalot on the floor and Victor Lindelöf was needed to block the subsequent attempt.
Still, United headed into the interval with a priceless 2-0 lead as Shaw, Martial, Fred and Pogba all combined before some Fred Astaire-like footwork from the latter ended in Von Ballmoos being beaten by a slick left-foot finish.
This left Mourinho motionless but he was a picture of delight when Pogba coolly doubled the lead from the spot. Deniz Ayetkin awarded the penalty after he adjudged Shaw’s cross to have been handled by Mbabu.
It looked harsh but United hardly cared. This had been their most clinical display so far this campaign and Mourinho’s half-time order was surely to make sure they kept on keeping on.
Martial suggested they would by spinning his man with ease and racing at a flat-footed rearguard that only just managed to recover. The attacker was again the player to trouble Young Boys when, this time moving along the right, he found Rashford but the No 10’s intended pass to Lukaku lost the ball.
Moments before, Lukaku might have scored when slipped in by Rashford but he fluffed the chance yet it was clear was how dominant the visitors had become. At this juncture the only danger was complacency and there was a wake-up call when Assalé was fed in the area and for a moment looked to have pulled a goal back.
Yet the kind of evening this was for United was summed up by Martial – who has been at loggerheads with the manager– registering the third from a clever pass from the outstanding Pogba. This came on 66 minutes and a little later Mourinho decided Fred and Rashford could be protected as he replaced them with Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini.
Martial’s goal was his first since 20 January at Burnley. This will please the forward and manager and given that Mourinho had lost his previous two matches in Switzerland, there is further succour here.
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