Read Jamie Jackson’s report:
Full-time: CSKA Moscow 1-4 Manchester United
A stroll for Manchester United in Moscow. CSKA Moscow were wretched, but the visitors were very impressive. Romelu Lukau scored twice, the sparkling Anthony Martial converted a penalty and Henrikh Mkhitaryan completed the rout. United are in control of Group A after starting with two convincing wins. Thanks for reading and emailing. Night.
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90 min+1: CSKA are finishing strongly, for what it’s worth. Kuchaev has another shot deflected wide, then Schennikov sees a low piledriver held by De Gea.
GOAL! CSKA Moscow 1-4 Manchester United (Kuchaev, 90 min)
This is no more than a consolation, but it’s a nice goal nonetheless, and one fashioned by two youngsters. Golovin, who’s been bright, scoops a ball over the top of the United defence and Kuchaev, the young substitute, takes it on his chest before slamming a low shot past De Gea. The home fans enjoyed it. Mourinho looks displeased.
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87 min: “Watching the game as a United fan, I’m not too sure whether we’re playing all that well, or CSKA are just awful!” says Luke Madden. “What do you think?”
A little from column A, a little from column B.
85 min: Rashford sends a 30-yard free-kick miles over. He can afford to smile.
84 min: Konstantin Kuchaev replaces Vitinho.
81 min: Matic sprays a superb pass through to Darmian, who’s denied by Akinfeev. CSKA’s defence is appalling.
79 min: They could probably blow up now.
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76 min: Basel are 5-0 up against Benfica!
74 min: Lingard’s down after a clash of heads with Wernbloom.
72 min: Marcus Rashford replaces the outstanding Anthony Martial, while Georgi Milanov replaces Alan Dzagoev, who’s a bit underwhelming to be perfectly blunt with you.
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70 min: Lukaku is desperate for a hat-trick.
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67 min: Matteo Darmian replaces Ashley Young, while CSKA make their first change, Timur Zhamaletdinov coming on for Fedor Chalov.
66 min: Vitinho shoots well wide from 20 yards.
62 min: “As another long-suffering Liverpool fan, I agree with Matthew Turner how frustrating this is to watch,” says Mike Richardson. “But at times, I think Liverpool is playing against ManU, like the absurd defending on the last two goals. Maybe Klopp can sign Ignashevich as a new center back to partner with Lovren and Klaven?”
60 min: Jesse Lingard replaces Henrikh Mkhitaryan. And the substitute almost scores straight away! The superb Martial scoots past the hapless CSKA defenders and sets up Lingard, who’s denied by the sprawling Akinfeev!
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59 min: Vitinho’s booked for catching Bailly with a stray arm.
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58 min: You do see some rubbish in the Champions League group stage, don’t you?
GOAL! CSKA Moscow 0-4 Manchester United (Mkhitaryan, 57 min)
Lukaku momentarily looks like he’s in the clear, Ignashevich playing a hopeless offside trap, but he takes a heavy touch and Berezutsky steps in. Ignashevich, though, is having a horrific evening. He plays an awful pass out of defence and Herrera wins back possession before knocking a pass through to Martial. His shot’s saved by the despairing Aknifeev, but Mkhitaryan strokes home the rebound.
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54 min: Wernbloom picks up a booking for a forearm smash into Mkhitaryan’s jaw. He could have been sent off. Mkhitaryan groggily gets back to his feet. That was a disgraceful challenge from the CSKA midfielder.
51 min: Young swings a cross in from the right. Blind heads just over.
49 min: Martial threads a pass through the eye of the needle for Lukaku, who takes one touch before ramming a volleyed shot goalwards from close range. Akinfeev makes a superb stop and the ball’s scrambled away from Lukaku before he can complete his hat-trick.
47 min: Robert Critchley is the latest to send in a poem.
When you three nil up and you know it
Who cares if they think you’re a poet
If you score three or four
I don’t think that’s a bore
Just as Leeds, and their man, Gary Rowett
46 min: CSKA Moscow get the ball rolling again. They make a positive start, Golovin turning this way and that on the edge of the area before sending a powerful shot over the bar. De Gea didn’t look too concerned. “The reason Macca is so upset is because of the juxtaposition with yesterday’s Moscow match,” says Matthew Turner. “It hurts us Liverpool supporters very much to see United play opponents who simply don’t show up, who don’t even try. It hurts us almost as much as the knowledge that our own team would still manage to not beat those same opponents. Liverpool can lower their game to any level.”
Half-time: CSKA Moscow 0-3 Manchester United
CSKA need to get Didi Hamann on.
44 min: Dzagoev’s low shot from 25 yards doesn’t trouble De Gea.
43 min: Anthony Martial goes on a daring dribble inside from the left, winding into the area, briefly looking like he might run all the way through and score a fantastic solo goal. He’s crowded out in the end, but it’s another example of his glittering talent. He is so very good at football, Mourinho must find a way to extract those flashes from him on a more consistent basis.
42 min: Golovin’s booked after tripping Herrera. At least it’s an attempt at a tackle.
41 min: “CSKA are woeful,” Steve McManaman spits on BT Sport. He seems personally offended by their performance.
39 min: “The less said about my brief career as a Chelsea physio the better,” says Matt Richman.
38 min: Vitinho’s ambitious, swerving shot from 25 yards flies straight at De Gea.
37 min: CSKA show up in attack for the first time in a while, Dzagoev slithering into the United area and touching the ball to Chalov, who sets himself for a rising shot that De Gea brilliantly pushes over the bar.
35 min: Mkhitaryan lollops through the middle, no one in a home shirt bothering to stop him, because why would you? He lays it off to Lukaku, who takes a touch before deciding to shoot from 25 yards. Might as well. Aknifeev pushes it wide.
34 min: The CSKA fans have decided to have a noisy party. Might as well. They’re more impressive than their team.
31 min: In the other game in this group, Basel are 2-0 up at home to Benfica. “Maybe Matt Richman had a petty, vindictive manager who wouldn’t hesitate to throw him to the lions for any fault, real or otherwise, if it took the heat off himself,” says Stuart Jenkinson. “Unlike Martial, who has Jos.....oh hang on, I haven’t thought this through....”
29 min: Poetry in motion.
GOAL! CSKA Moscow 0-3 Manchester United (Lukaku, 26 min)
This is pathetic. Igor Akinfeev has a face like thunder in the CSKA goal. Anthony Martial teases two defenders and coaxes in a cross that Vasili Berezutsky should deal with. Instead he takes a hapless swing at the ball, misses it and lets it bounce through to the far post, where Romelu Lukaku isn’t going to let him off the hook. He’s alert, Ignashevich isn’t and the Belgian cushions it past the fuming Akinfeev from close range. Good night, thanks for coming.
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25 min: “That boy has ice running through his veins,” says Matt Richman. “He’s only 21? I was a nervous mess then.” Why would you be a nervous mess while leading 1-0 in a low-key group stage mismatch?
22 min: Golovin’s bending effort bounces a yard or two wide of the left post from 25 yards. It’s unlikely it would have beaten De Gea.
20 min: United could score a hatful here. CSKA can’t defend and Lukaku and Martial are in the mood.
GOAL! CSKA Moscow 0-2 Manchester United (Martial pen, 19 min)
This is a peach of a penalty from Anthony Martial. So cool. He casually rolls up to it, watches Aknifeev dive to his left and nonchalantly pops it into the opposite corner.
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PENALTY TO MANCHESTER UNITED!
18 min: Mkhitaryan bustles into the CSKA area on the right. Schennikov clumsily goes to ground in a desperate attempt to win the ball but only succeeds in chopping the Armenian down in front of the official behind the goal. Shocking defending.
17 min: Dzagoev prods a pass to Vitinho on the right of the United area. His shot ricochets off Lindelof, though, hits him and goes behind for a goal-kick.
14 min: By the way, that Lukaku goal means it’s 41 games since Igor Akinfeev kept a clean sheet in the Champions League. Poor Igor. “A limerick for Jose,” says Robin Hazlehurst.
A grumpy old man name of Jose
Responded to poetry: “No way!
My ears are hurtin’
Leave that stuff for Jurgen
I’ll stick with my dirges and prose play”.
13 min: There are more goals in this for United. They pass the ball patiently in front of the CSKA defence, working it out to Blind on the left. He has space. He slides a low ball into the area for the onrushing Mkhitaryan. He should score, but he raps his shot too close to Akinfeev, who saves well with his feet. United should lead by two.
11 min: Matic romps up field and finds Lukaku, who glides inside, easily evading Ignashevich. He finds Mkhitaryan, who sees his shot deflected wide for a corner on the left. Soon Martial has the ball. He skips past Golovin too easily, but he runs out of room before he can cause more problems for CSKA.
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9 min: Golovin produces a fine tackle to stop Mkhitaryan’s run. CSKA are wasteful in possession when they try to break, though.
7 min: Here’s Stephen Gosling.
José’s teams have a certain aesthetic
More prosaic, and seldom poetic
Still, I hope he’ll prevail
And, if he should fail
That he won’t blame the ref; that’s pathetic.
6 min: That goal hasn’t knocked the stuffing out of the home side. They’re right back at United’s throats, Golovin threatening again. He looks to have worked an opening for a shot, only to take a messy swipe at the ball. It runs to the unmarked Dzagoev on the edge of the area, though, and he forces De Gea to make a brilliant save low to his right with a rasping drive! The resultant corner is a waste.
GOAL! CSKA Moscow 0-1 Manchester United (Lukaku, 4 min)
This is what happens when a 38-year-old marks Romelu Lukaku. Anthony Martial does well on the left, skilfully making space for a floated cross to the far post, where Lukaku bullies Ignasevich and plants a low header to Akinfeev’s left! What a start for United!
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3 min: Martial conjures a beautiful backheel to set Mkhitaryan away on the left. The Armenian steams inside, but he runs into traffic. There’s a rare old atmosphere being created by the CSKA fans. This is likely to be a night that requires patience. CSKA win back possession and the talented Golovin, only 21, slices United open with a beautiful pass with the outside of his right foot, looking to set Dzagoev clear. However Dzagoev might be the slowest man alive and Young mops up.
Peep! Manchester United get the game underway. They’re kicking from left to right in the first half. CSKA Moscow are in blue shirts and red shorts. United are in grey for the first time since ... you know when.
The teams emerge. Liverpool could only draw in Moscow last night. Can Manchester United show them how it’s done?
Pre-match poetry corner.
“If Mourinho likes a sort of mechanical way of playing so much and as he does likes to win he would probably like ‘Ode Triunfal’ from Álvaro de Campos, one of Fernando Pessoa’s heteronyms,” says Rui Sequeira.
A haiku from JR in Illinois, meanwhile:
Disingenuous
So cynical and classless
Ruins everything
Aniket Chowdhury seems like more of a Mourinho fan:
There’s nothing like the taste of winning
However, draws will do the job too
As long as the players follow my instructions,theres nothing else to be done
You can call me a boring guy,and you can hate me too
I will park the bus whenever I want
Coz I am the Special One
Mike Richardson quotes from The Second Coming
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
There’s only one way to make Mourinho like poetry. We have to make him like poetry. We have to come up with the perfect poem for him. This is why we have emails open on the MBM.
It works because it rhymes.
CSKA Moscow line up with a back three that contains a couple of veterans, Vasili Berezutsky and the 38-year-old Sergei Ignashevich. It will be interesting to see how they fare against Romelu Lukaku.
Manchester United make five changes to the side that beat Southampton on the weekend and also seem to have changed their system to a 3-4-3. Victor Lindelof and Chris Smalling return in defence, Ander Herrera joins Nemanja Matic in midfield with Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini injured, Daley Blind starts on the left and Anthony Martial, an unused substitute on the weekend, replaces Marcus Rashford. With a few players missing, it’s a solid line-up that looks built to play on the break.
Team news
CSKA Moscow: Akinfeev; Vasin, V Berezutsky, Ignasevich; Fernandes, Wernbloom, Dzagoev, Golovin, Shchennikov; Chalov, Vitinho. Subs: Pomazun, A Berezutsky, Milanov, Nababkin, Natcho, Zhamaletdinov, Kuchaev.
Manchester United: De Gea; Lindelof, Bailly, Smalling; Young, Matic, Herrera, Blind; Mkhitaryan, Lukaku, Martial. Subs: Romero, Tuanzebe, Darmian, Mata, McTominay, Lingard, Rashford.
Referee: Jonas Eriksson (Sweden).
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Hello. Don’t talk to Jose Mourinho about poetry. He isn’t a fan. Not in a footballing sense anyway. ‘There are many poets in football,” he said in response to criticism of his pragmatism after Manchester United beat Ajax in last season’s Europa League final, “but poets don’t win many titles.” And do you know who does win many titles? Mourinho. Two last season, 24 overall over the course of a 17-year managerial career. Clearly, then, there’s a fair amount of merit in his approach, even if it isn’t always to the taste of the neutral fan.
There are undoubtedly fair questions to be asked about whether Mourinho’s style of attack is still relevant in 2017; the Chelsea implosion is still fresh in the memory and he there was nothing dashing about the way United finished sixth last season after breaking the world record to sign Paul Pogba. But history shows that the second season is when everything begins to come together for Mourinho teams. It happened at Inter, Real Madrid and at Chelsea second time round, and signs are that it could be happening at United. Okay, they haven’t really played anyone of any note yet – hang your head in shame, Ronald Koeman – and they got done over by Real in the Super Cup, but there is a familiar remorselessness to them at the moment that Mourinho’s rivals will recognise and fear.
It would be nonsense to say that attacking football has suddenly become fashionable. It’s always been fashionable. Newsflash: people like goals. However it has become trendy at the highest level for managers to embrace risk by using intense pressing to overwhelm their opponents, attack as the best form of defence in its purest form. Done well, the logical conclusion is that your opponent can’t get the ball or out of their own third. But it has to be done right or it falls apart – and that’s why someone like Mourinho narrows his eyes when he sees that ... that ... that ... poetry. He prefers the traditional method of defending, eliminating the random and maintaining control, and it doesn’t bother him if he has to bore us half to death on the way to getting the thing that matters above all else: the result.
It’s not that his attacking players aren’t allowed to have an ice cream after dinner every now and then, which is why United have already had three 4-0 wins this season, but they’d damn well better have had their greens and done their homework first. In United’s opening group match against Basel, Mourinho fumed about “Playstation football” when they started showboating after going 2-0 up. He had no compunction about packing his defence to protect a 1-0 lead at Southampton on Saturday and he’s made it clear that United will be “humble” at CSKA Moscow tonight. Fourth in the Russian league, CSKA opened their Champions League campaign with an impressive 2-1 win at Benfica. As far as Mourinho’s concerned, this isn’t the time for poetry.
Kick-off: 7.45pm BST.
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