Manchester United score comeback victory against Braga

It was a revamped Manchester United back-line that took the pitch at Old Trafford – not for the first time in the recent past – as Sir Alex manages his meagre defensive resources. Michael Carrick was stationed at centre-half yet again, while the impressive Alexander Buttner started at left-back.

When the whistle blew though, it was yet another sluggish start for United who seem particularly fond of conceding an early lead this season. It was Braga’s captain, Alan, who scored with a header into David De Gea’s bottom right corner in the 2^nd minute. The Spanish keeper’s looks said it all, as he fetched the ball from the back of the net, despite Alan coming up against 3 United players, who were all caught napping.

The game continued to be sluggish, especially for United, as they failed to test the opposing keeper, Beto, even once in the first twenty minutes. This tardiness was punished, almost inevitably, as Eder comfortably slipped past Michael Carrick, who was covering for Rafael at right-back, and slipped a ball through for Alan to score again, in the same bottom corner. The United fans were left rubbing their eyes, as the scoreline read 0-2 in the 20^th minute. Within five minutes, however, United had a good refereeing decision, and Javier Hernandez’s instincts to credit for pulling one back. The referee played advantage on a bad foul against Robin van Persie, and Shinji Kagawa sent in a great cross to the back post for Hernandez to head in, via the goalkeeper.

Hernandez nearly levelled the scores in the 31^st minute, as a brilliant interplay between Van Persie, and Wayne Rooney saw the Dutchman roll a ball into the six yard box, only inches away from the boot of Hernandez. The referee, officiating in only his second game in the Champions League, made another good decision in the 35^th minute, as Buttner went down in the Braga box, but failed to win a penalty. It was United who went into the half on top, as they had long spells of possession, and some intricate play, but failed to draw back on level terms, heading in at 1-2.

United replaced Kagawa with Nani at the start of the second half, as the Japanese star had taken a couple of knocks in the first half. United began the half like the ended the previous one, on the attack, and sitting in the opposition half for long periods. It was quite a surprise that Braga reached the 60 minute mark still in the lead, as United threatened time and again with some great balls into the box that failed to reach the back of the net. The defence was finally breached in the 62^nd minute, as a Van Persie corner was glanced into the path of Evans by Carrick, and was dispatched at the second attempt. Braga were left considering themselves unlucky to have conceded in such a scramble, having defended fairly well up till then.

It seemed just a matter of time before United would take the lead, and they nearly did in the 71^st minute, as Hernandez did brilliantly to get past his man, and then played the ball into the path of Nani, who saw his fierce shot parried away by Beto. It was Hernandez who finally got United the lead, getting on the end of a sumptuous cross from Tom Cleverley, and heading home unmarked in the 75^th minute. For the umpteenth time this season, United had come back from an early deficit to take the lead, as the scoreline read 3-2. Braga nearly leveled in the 80^th minute after a casual pass from De Gea saw the opposition gifted the ball just outside the box. At the other end, Van Persie missed a great chance as well when he found himself one on one with the ‘keeper, but shot high from a narrow angle. United played out the rest of the match, keeping Braga at bay with considerable ease, to earn a victory in front of their home fans.

It is a win which virtually seals qualification to the knock-out stages for United, as they have maximum points after their first three games. Ahead of the game against Chelsea, though, there will be defensive concerns for United, but with an attack as fluid as United now possess, it will make for an interesting game indeed.