Shakhtar Donetsk 1-1 Manchester United: Five talking points

United still lack a creative spark

Whilst a 1-1 draw away from home against one of the dark horses of the tournament isn’t a bad result by any stretch of the imagination, the way the game went on, certainly is worrying. Whilst the defense was no doubt on top and sniffed out any possible danger, the attack was nothing to write home about.

There was no real movement in the final third and apart from the goal, United didn’t even manage to create a clear cut opening. On the back of this performance, all the praise will go to the defence and rightly so, but that still doesn’t explain the listless attack and the fact that United are still in dire need of a creative midfielder. Moyes is left with a difficult dilemma on his hands, on the back of this solid defensive display.

Moyes’s gamble pays off

At the start of the game, with Rooney out, many expected that his place will be taken by Kagawa. But, Moyes being Moyes, went in with Welbeck and three central midfielders and no natural left winger. And whilst they came away with the draw, a main reason for that was his risky team selection, which paid off in the end.

Having known fully well that Shakhtar are known for their wing play, Moyes went in with Valencia and Welbeck on the wings. Both players, are good going both ways and showed their keen eye for the defensive aspect of their game with crucial tackles and stopped too many crosses from coming into the box. Whilst fans will again be clamoring for the inclusion of Kagawa, Moyes went for substance over style and it paid off in the end.

Fellaini still looks rough around the edges

The Belgian started the game, the furthest forward of a three man midfield consisting of Carrick and Cleverley. On the evidence of the game, it looks as if Fellaini is still getting to grips with United’s style of play. Whilst he did get the assist for Welbeck’s goal, he still slowed the play down every time he got on the ball.

Whilst he was more than handy in the air and won the ball on more than a few occasions, he still didn’t look to comfortable with the ball at his feet. The Belgian frequently gave the ball away and as a result, quite a few attacks broke down in its infancy. The Belgian gave away far too many cheap free-kicks and although he was unlucky to be booked on the hour mark, on the balance of play, it was no more than what he deserved.

The return of Vidic sparks a spirited defensive display

There were times in the first half, when it looked as if it was the United of old were back. United’s defense managed to clear every cross, got to every second ball and were positioned perfectly to deal with any attacking threat that came their way. And barring a spell leading up to Shakhtar’s equalizer, they were dominant throughout the game, and Vidic in particular was a behemoth in the center of that defense.

The return of their captain, sparked a defensive display from United, which was in stark contrast to their performances so far this season. The duo of Smalling and Vidic were rock solid and let nothing through pass and showed signs of the type of defensive solidity that marked Moyes’s reign at Everton.

Shakhtar’s band of Brazilians

Before the game, a lot had been said about the band of Brazilians and how they were going to take the game by storm. And although that never really materialized thanks to a spirited defensive display by United, they still managed to show glimpses of what they were capable of. Douglas Costa in particular displayed his explosive pace and close control that caught the eye of many top European clubs over the summer.

So, it was no surprise, when the goal scored by Taison, a Brazilian. Whilst Shaktar’s attackers weren’t at their best, the combination play between Taison, Douglas Costa and Alex Teixeira was lightning quick and their explosive pace helped stretch the United defense. Whilst they were unable to crack open the United defense, not many will be able to contain Shakhtar’s attacking threat this year.