Manchester United have an away win after 232 days is over. And so break a sequence that began after the heady March night at Paris Saint-Germain where a 3-1 victory swept them into the Champions League quarter-finals and all seemed so rosy under Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s management, the Guardian reports.
This win, courtesy of an Anthony Martial penalty, came in United’s third Europa League game and puts them in charge of Group L. They have seven points, three more than Partizan Belgrade, and are favourites to progress. Martial’s spot-kick came after the 19-year-old Brandon Williams proved too quick for Nemanja Miletic, who felled him. This was only the left-sided player’s second start and he drew high praise from Solskjær. “He is as brave as a lion, fearless, and is going to be a top player,” the manager said.
The same player later missed a golden chance. Juan Mata swung in a free-kick and McTominay had Vladimir Stojkovic’s goal before him but the header was missed. United had to be careful because of the bursts of Takuma Asano. Phil Jones, Garner and McTominay all had to thwart the No 11. Garner was proving confident enough to spray passes wide from his holding berth, while also showing an adept reading of the game.
Starhinja Pavlovic is an 18-year-old centre-back is considered a prospect and the way he took the ball from Jesse Lingard and glided infield as Partizan controlled proceedings at the half-hour illustrated why. When Zoran Tosic, once of United, unloaded at Romero’s goal it was a warning that United had become passive.
It did wake them. Suddenly Garner, Mata and Aaron Wan-Bissaka were combining and Lingard hit the keeper’s left post.
But Partizan responded via a slick move that had Umar Sadiq firing a shot on to Romero’s left post.
United were about to win the penalty and it derived from their best sequence. It ended with Williams proving he belongs at this level and, despite Sasa Zdjelar standing in front of Martial to put him off, he kept his cool. The first act of the second half had Umar Sadiq making a mug of an underpar Harry Maguire near halfway and drawing a foul from Jones.
This was close to the area but Bibras Natcho could not beat Romero with the free-kick.
Moments later Jones appeared to get away with a push on Seydouba Soumah – inside the area – and Xavier Estrada Fernández had clear sight but the referee awarded a goal-kick.
Soumah next gave Maguire another hounding, leaving him trailing and United, again, were lucky not to concede. Partizan were enjoying possession but lacked the killer edge.
On the hour Solskjær took off Martial and Wan-Bissaka for Marcus Rashford and Daniel James, United moving from a back three to four.
Now came two penalty appeals turned down by Fernández to Partizan fury.
First, they believed Williams handled, then that Sadiq had been impeded but United escaped. They also did when a last-ditch Jones challenge conceded a corner despite an equaliser appearing favourite. Romero saved an Asano header before Maguire cleared the danger as Partizan ended the stronger side.
