Winning goal from Nani

By Chris,
October 22 2010

All the talk was of Wayne Rooney – but, without the England frontman, Manchester United got back to winning ways on the field with a low-key 1-0 Champions League victory over Bursaspor. Nani bagged the only goal of the game at Old Trafford as the Red Devils edged closer to the knock-out stages of Europe’s premier cup competition.

A state of shock descended on the Old Trafford terraces as fans gossiped at Rooney’s shock admission that he wants out.

However, Nani’s spectacular winning goal went someway to lifting the atmosphere at the Theatre of Dreams as United claimed an unremarkable win over the unfancied Turkish side.

United have now claimed seven points from their opening three European fixtures and lead Group C ahead of their trip to Bursaspor in a fortnight's time.

The only goal of the game came on seven minutes. Nani smashed a curling effort from 25-yards beyond the reach of a frustrated Dimitar Ivankov, and the 72,610 in attendance were perhaps expecting a goal fest.

However, a weakened United side produced a largely low-key performance. Bursaspor struggled to carve out any opportunities, while Gabriel Obertan and Javier Hernandez both squandered excellent opportunities for United to double their slender lead.

The likes of Chris Smalling, Kiko Macheda and Tomasz Kuszczak may not be the continent’s biggest names – but they all started against Bursaspor and all possess the desire to play for the country’s most famous football club. It seems Rooney does not.

Full Time – Manchester United 1-0 Bursaspor
Attendance – 72,610