FULL TIME: Manchester United 3-0 Saint-Étienne
Pogba sends his free kick wide left, and that’s the final act of the game. A slightly strange match. United deserved to win it, no doubt, but Saint-Étienne probably didn’t deserve to be on the end of a 3-0 scoreline that in all likelihood has put them out and sent their opponents into the last 16. Thing is, though, they’ve just never had an answer to that Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Nighty night!
Updated
90 min +3: Selnaes slides into Ibrahimovic, just outside the Saint-Étienne D. A free kick for United in a very dangerous position. Paul Pogba’s lining it up.
90 min +2: Roux is once again very nearly sent clear down the middle. A late away goal would alter the picture somewhat, so United need to be careful.
90 min +1: Lingard very nearly bursts clear down the left. A 4-0 scoreline would be very cruel on Saint-Étienne. This 3-0 one will sting enough. They’ve played well.
90 min: There will be a minimum of four added minutes.
GOAL! Manchester United 3-0 Saint-Étienne (Ibrahimovic 88 pen)
Ibrahimovic completes his first Manchester United hat-trick by slamming the penalty into the bottom left. He really does have it in for Saint-Étienne, doesn’t he. Seventeen goals in 14 games!
Updated
Penalty for Manchester United!
87 min: Ibrahmovic is going nowhere in the Saint-Étienne box. Theophile-Catherine obliges by running behind him and tapping his leg. There’s not much contact, but Ibrahimovic isn’t looking a gift horse in the mouth. Down he goes. The ref points to the spot.
Updated
85 min: Mourinho replaces Martial with Ashley Young. United are suddenly sitting back a bit. Old Trafford falls a bit quiet for the first time tonight. Hamouma skitters around the front of the United box, but can’t work a shooting position or find a pass.
84 min: Saivet takes the second free kick, and hammers it witlessly into the wall. He then more artfully flicks the rebound to the left of the wall, in an attempt to work a shooting position, but runs the ball out of play for a goal kick.
83 min: Bailly bundles Vertout over, 30 yards from goal, a wee bit to the left of centre. A chance for Saint-Étienne to load the box, and take a whack. Saivet shoots. Martial sticks his arm up and deflects the shot. Hand ball, and another free kick, this time just outside the area.
81 min: It’s all United now. Attack versus defence. The visitors are holding firm right now, but for the first time they’re beginning to look a little ragged. Can they hold on, and keep themselves in the tie? “Bit disappointed to see that Saint Etienne aren’t playing Sarah Cracknell in midfield,” quips Robert Wolf Petersen, because somebody had to.
79 min: Florentin Pogba goes down with cramp. Brother Paul comes over to check on him. Florentin gets up, hugs his brother, and makes off for the bench. He’s subbed, with Robert Beric taking his place.
Updated
77 min: A couple of minutes ago, it was nearly 1-1. Now it’s nearly 3-0. Football, eh? Valencia jinks down the right and slips a pass inside for Lingard, who is lurking on the edge of the D. He sidefoots powerfully towards the bottom right. Inches away. Inches.
GOAL! Manchester United 2-0 Saint-Étienne (Ibrahimovic 75)
United have been quiet for a while, but suddenly: bang! Rashford bursts into life, scooting past two green shirts down the left. He reaches the by-line and fires the ball into the centre. Ruffier gets a gentle hand on the cross, but only deflects it to Guess Who? Ibrahimovic, that’s who. He taps in for his fourth goal in six Europa League matches, and his 16th in 14 games against Saint-Étienne!
Updated
73 min: Saint-Étienne come so close to grabbing a crucial away goal! Selnaes doesn’t take long to make an impression, dinking a clever ball down the inside-right from a deep central position to release Roux into the area! Romero comes rushing out and does just enough. Roux dinks the ball over him, but overcooks it, the ball floating over the bar. But only just. United breathe again!
Updated
72 min: Ole Selnaes comes on for Pajot.
71 min: A rare excursion into United territory for Saint-Étienne. Roux curls in a cross from the right. Romero gathers. Saint-Étienne come back at United. Vertout is slapped in the face by Paul Pogba’s swinging arm. It’s another yellow card.
70 min: Mata is replaced, Marcus Rashford coming on. It’s Rashford’s 50th appearance for this famous old club already! What a talent.
69 min: Paul Pogba hits the bar! Blind floats the free kick into the mixer from the left. Pogba, at the far post, six yards out, should score, but keeps his header high. It clatters off the frame of the goal and away. If he’d headed that down at all, it was 2-0 to United.
Updated
68 min: Martial skates down the left for the nth time. Saivet brings him down as he looks to step inside. A free kick for United, 30 yards up the flank, and a chance to load the box.
67 min: Lingard is booked for crumping his studs into Perrin’s shin. The Saint-Étienne captain has put his body on the line tonight all right.
65 min: Nolan Roux comes on for Jorginho. Paul Pogba and Martial exchange crisp passes down the left, the former breaking into the box. Pogba slashes the ball wildly wide left of the goal from a tight angle. Lingard, in the middle, asks a question.
64 min: Pajot comes through the back of Herrera, and is booked for his trouble.
63 min: After a brief lull, arguably the first of a very entertaining match, United spring forward. Paul Pogba, cutting in from the right, spins and lashes a majestic shot which only just sails wide of the left-hand post from 25 yards.
Updated
60 min: A gorgeous Cruyff Turn down the right by Mata. Florentin Pogba beaten all ends up. Mata very nearly zips clear but he doesn’t have the pace. But that was a lovely piece of skill.
58 min: Herrera is booked for a deliberate hand ball while sliding across the turf. His quick, albeit cynical, thinking stopped Jorginho tearing off down the right. He’s taken one for the team, because the yellow card means he’ll miss the second leg.
57 min: For a split second, it looks as though Ibrahimovic will have time for a shot from the edge of the Saint-Étienne area. He’s crowded out of it, but lays off to Valencia on the right. Valencia’s first-time shot is deflected inches wide of the left-hand post. The resulting corner comes to naught.
56 min: Another threatening run by Martial, who looks to be getting his mojo back after a quiet few months. He very nearly breaks clear down the left, but can’t quite escape the attention of Theophile-Catherine.
54 min: Martial drives into the Saint-Étienne area from the left. It’s a powerful run, but stylish too, and at the end of his speedy sashay he blasts a fine shot low and hard towards the bottom left. Ruffier does very well to parry the ball away from danger. From the resulting set piece, Ibrahimovic heads over from close distance, but under severe pressure. After finishing the first half poorly, United are very much back on the front foot.
Updated
52 min: Perrin gets up gingerly, and blinks hard. He walks off the pitch, but it looks as though he’ll return. Meanwhile Malcuit comes back on, and Paul Pogba has a shot from distance that easily clears the bar. And finally Perrin is back. A slightly stop-start second half so far.
50 min: Vertout bundles Valencia off the ball near the right-wing corner flag. Free kick for United in a dangerous position. The ball’s hoicked into the box, and Smalling - accidentally, it should be stressed - smashes his head into Perrin’s. Smalling grimaces awhile; Perrin looks to have taken a bigger whack, though. Saint-Étienne are in the wars right now.
48 min: Malcuit is off the field taking running repairs. A lot of blood coming out of his mouth. Meanwhile, Ibrahimovic puts the ball in the Saint-Étienne net, heading home a deep Mata right-wing cross from six yards. But the thin green line had stepped up to play Ibrahimovic offside, and the United striker didn’t even bother celebrating. Offside.
Updated
46 min: Lingard’s very first touch sends Ibrahimovic scampering clear down the inside-left channel. He’s not got the pace to make it into the box, so lays off to Martial on the left instead. Martial is ushered wide by Malcuit, and takes an elbow in the mouth for his trouble. A yellow card for Martial, and that could easily have been a red.
Updated
And we’re off again! Saint-Étienne get the party restarted. United will be haring towards the Stretford End in this second half. They’ve made one change: Fellaini is hooked in favour of Jesse Lingard.
Half-time viewing: Arsenal took a bit of a thumping last night, in case you hadn’t heard. Here’s some detailed analysis courtesy of the rather magnificent When Saturday Comes illustrator Tim Bradford.
HALF TIME: Manchester United 1-0 Saint-Étienne
And that’s that. United go in with the precious lead, but the visitors will be very pleased with their performance. They were the better team during the closing stages of that half and could, probably should, be level. This promises to be a very enjoyable second half, especially if United can regain their early sparkle.
45 min: Jorginho skates past Martial as though the United man wasn’t there. He’s free on the right, and reaches the by-line. He pulls the ball back for Pajot, who is clear on the penalty spot. Pajot lets the ball roll over his boot, and United are off the hook.
44 min: Veretout is permitted to romp towards the United box. So much space in front of the United back four. He lashes a fairly dismal effort well wide left of the goal from the edge of the area. But United need to shake themselves out of their lethargy. A good thing half-time is coming up soon. With this in mind, Mourinho departs for the changing room, and he doesn’t look particularly chuffed. He’s not a man to let things lie, so expect tactical tweaks.
42 min: It’s a wonder Saint-Étienne aren’t level. Now Monnet-Paquet chips a pass down the inside-left channel to release Hamouma. He’s got the legs on Bailly, though he’s a fair bit wide of the goal as he enters the box, and no team-mate has been able to keep up with him. He tries to smash a spectacular shot into the top left, but it’s wild, wild, wild.
40 min: Hamouma busies himself down the left, and his low cross very nearly finds Pajot six yards from goal. Romero smothers and the danger is over. But Saint-Étienne deserve to be on terms, on the balance of play.
Updated
39 min: Another misplaced pass by Bailly and Saint-Étienne are on the attack again. The ball falls to the feet of the busy Hamouma on the penalty spot. He creams a shot on the turn towards the top left. It’s going in, surely, but Bailly blocks it at source, making up for his error.
38 min: Pajot has a dig from 25 yards. It’s not a bad connection, but the aim’s off: the ball whistles harmlessly to the left of the target. Saint-Étienne aren’t letting this lie by any means.
37 min: Valencia blooters a long pass down the right to release Mata into acres. But once again he’s gone off too quickly. The offside flag saves Saint-Étienne. Then Vertout tries the same trick down the left, attempting to send Monnet-Paquet away. The flag goes up again.
35 min: Saint-Étienne are playing with confidence, despite the scoreline. A long period of possession in the United half ends with Hamouma nearly opening the home side up down the middle with a ball-on-string dribble. Not quite: he’s crowded out of it.
32 min: This is a lot of end-to-end fun. Now Saivet sashays into the United box and sends a fairly poor shot wide left of the target when he should really have made Romero work.
31 min: United go straight up the other end, Martial gliding in effortlessly from the left, beating three men and sending a low diagonal ball towards the bottom right. Ruffier sticks a foot out to stop the ball, which ricochets out to Ibrahimovic. Surely he’ll tap home from six yards? Nope! It’s all happening too quickly, and in too confined a space, even for Ibra. The ball balloons over the bar, and the big striker holds his head in his hands.
30 min: Hamouma cuts in from the left and George Bests across the front of the box. He lays off for Saivet, on the edge of the D. Saivet drags the ball back and then sends a no-lift snapshot towards the bottom left. It’s beating Romero, but just wide left.
Updated
28 min: Ibrahimovic leaves a foot in on Jorginho in the middle of the park. That’s a wee bit saucy. It’s just a free kick, though. And it’s taken quickly, hoicked straight down the middle, releasing Hamouma. He can’t control, though. Had he managed to gather it, he’d have been one on one with Romero.
26 min: Valencia gives the ball away, allowing Monnet-Paquet to tear into the United area from the left. His cross is blocked at source by Bailly. But Saint-Étienne come back at United again immediately, this time through Florentin Pogba. Again, the cross is no good. But United don’t look completely solid at the back. Quite a few loose passes. Mourinho’s lid will be rattling right now.
25 min: Paul Pogba has been brilliant so far. He drops back into the quarterback position, and Zidanes a pass down the inside-left channel to release Mata into the box. Mata’s first-time shot is smothered by Ruffier; the pair battle for the ball, which squirms to the left of the goal and out for a goal kick.
Updated
23 min: Fellaini bustles away as Fellaini does, winning a corner on the right. Mata takes, but the delivery doesn’t clear the first man. This is good end-to-end fun. The Saint-Étienne support are still making themselves heard.
22 min: Saint-Étienne have recovered from the shock of conceding the goal. Vertout romps down the middle of the field, causing United to slink backwards with care. Vertout misplaces his pass towards Saivet on the right, letting the home side off the hook. It’s still a very breezy game.
19 min: Saivet and Jorginho combine down the right, the latter cutting into the box and shaping to shoot. Blind gets in the way, but doesn’t make a clean tackle. Jorginho strides past him, then crumbles to the ground. There was contact, but Jorginho took a couple of steps after it, and went down under his own steam. No penalty, though the referee clearly thought about it for a split second.
17 min: Ibrahimovic has Saint-Étienne’s number all right. That’s 15 goals in 14 games against them now.
GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Saint-Étienne (Ibrahimovic 15)
Ibrahimovic gambles on the wall jumping, and hits the free kick low. The wall doesn’t jump. No matter! The ball, initially heading towards the bottom left, clanks off Pajot’s legs and into the middle of the net, Ruffier having followed the initial route of the shot. A farcical goal, but United have the early lead!
Updated
14 min: Now Paul Pogba rakes one out towards Blind on the left. Blind slips the ball inside, and Ibrahomovic goes to ground in the vague environs of Veretout. There wasn’t much contact at all, but United get the free kick, in Ibra Territory, just to the left of the D. The big man steps up, and...
Updated
12 min: Monnet-Paquet puts his head down and goes on a Power Burst down the inside-left channel. He’s stopped in his tracks by Fellaini, but for a second United looked light at the back there. A fair chance this game won’t end goalless.
10 min: Martial creams a fine shot from a deep position on the left. It’s a precision curler towards the bottom right; Ruffier extends himself to parry clear with strong hands. Fine football all round. This has been a lively, entertaining start, with both teams contributing to an open game.
8 min: Paul Pogba is the first of the brothers to show. He rakes a gorgeous high left-to-right diagonal pass towards Valencia on the right. Valencia cuts inside and chips forward for Mata, who runs down the channel and cushions a header backwards. Fellaini latches onto it, and dispatches the ball sweetly into the bottom left. A fine finish, but Mata was miles offside, and nobody bothers complaining.
Updated
7 min: The Saint-Étienne fans are keeping up quite a rhythm right now. They’re lending this game a proper continental atmosphere. Magical. United continue to pass the ball around the middle of the park in the patient style. After that shaky start, they’re settling into the game.
5 min: United take the opportunity to stroke it around the middle awhile. Calm. Deep breaths. They’re taking their manager’s advice.
3 min: Now Bailly allows a simple upfield hoof to bounce, very nearly letting Hamouma in again! Romero is out quickly to deal with the situation. On the touchline, Mourinho acts out the internationally understood mime for Calm Down Will You, For The Love Of All That’s Right And Proper. An uncertain start by United, and Bailly in particular.
2 min: Bailly’s mind is still in the dressing room. He’s just given the ball away twice in less than 90 seconds, allowing Monnet-Paquet to first fire a cross towards Hamouma at the near post - Smalling clears - and then plays a lame backpass which gives Hamouma the chance to stride into the box. Romero comes off his line to narrow the angle when it’s one on one, and does enough to put the Saint-Étienne man off.
Updated
And we’re off! United get the ball rolling. Saint-Étienne will kick towards the Stretford End in this first half. A lot of smoke, the paying punters having thrown a pyro party before the game. It’ll clear. Although there might be a bit of smoke in Perrin’s head: he miskicks a simple ball wildly on the edge of his own area, but Malcuit mops up before a swarm of red shirts can cause any trouble.
Updated
The teams are out! A cracking atmosphere for a European night at Old Trafford. The away fans are doing their bit, giving it plenty. Manchester United are in their storied red shirts and white shorts, while Saint-Étienne sport their famous green. The Pogba brothers embraced warmly in the tunnel, incidentally, and took to the pitch chatting away with the warmest smiles playing across their faces. A special night for them. We’ll be off in a minute!
Updated
Before we concentrate on this game, news of England’s other Europa League survivor. Tottenham Hotspur travelled to Gent this evening, and they’ve found themselves on the wrong end of the scoreline. Tim Hill watched every kick of their 1-0 first-leg defeat.
Updated
Jose Mourinho speaks! “Mkhitaryan arrived this morning ill. We have a final to play soon, but we must focus on the cup matches against St Etienne and Blackburn first. We have picked the best possible team. We will try to win against a difficult team. They are very well organised and will defend a lot. Probably it will be difficult for us. But sometimes we play at home and have eight, nine or ten chances, but draw. Perhaps tonight we will have fewer chances but score more goals. It will be a good test for both Paul and Florentin Pogba’s professionalism. It is a funny situation, but perhaps not for the mum, because she cannot choose!”
Updated
Pre-match reading: In case you missed it, here’s Peerless Paul Doyle’s piece from last weekend’s Observer on Florentin Pogba, brother of Paul, who lines up for Saint-Étienne tonight.
Manchester United stick with the side which waltzed past Watford at the weekend ... more or less. Sergio Romero gets a European run-out in place of the rested David de Gea, while the poorly Henrikh Mkhitaryan is replaced by health’s Marouane Fellaini.
Saint-Étienne meanwhile stick with the entire starting XI sent out to stuff Lorient 4-0 in Ligue 1 on Sunday. Confidence abounds in both camps, then, with form horses backed.
Tonight's teams
Manchester United: Romero, Valencia, Smalling, Bailly, Blind, Mata, Herrera, Fellaini, Martial, Pogba, Ibrahimovic.
Subs: de Gea, Rojo, Lingard, Young, Rashford, Schweinsteiger, Darmian.
Saint-Étienne: Ruffier, Malcuit, Perrin, Theophile-Catherine, Pogba, Jorginho, Veretout, Pajot, Monnet-Paquet, Saivet, Hamouma.
Subs: Moulin, Lacroix, Roux, Selnaes, Lemoine, Beric, Pierre Gabriel.
Referee: Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic).
Good evening!
Manchester United have a fine home record against French opposition. They’ve hosted teams from across the briny on 12 occasions, and have won nine of the matches, drawing the other three. One of those nine victories was against tonight’s opponents Saint-Étienne: 2-0 in the 1977/78 Cup Winners Cup. Admittedly that fixture was staged at Plymouth Argyle’s Home Park due to crowd trouble, but a technical home victory’s a home victory’s a home victory. Les Verts have the weight of history against them tonight.
United should also be buoyed by another quirk of history. Saint-Étienne have faced English sides three times in Uefa combat. On two of those occasions, the team from England has prevailed and gone on to win the trophy. Liverpool and David Fairclough won a famous European Cup quarter final in 1977, while Bobby Robson’s Ipswich Town battered Saint-Étienne 7-2 on aggregate at the same stage of the Uefa Cup in 1981, John Wark, Paul Mariner and Arnold Muhren causing all sorts of bother. Only United themselves buck the trend - they beat the French side 3-1 on aggregate in that aforementioned 1977 Cup Winners Cup tie, but lost in the next round to Porto. Even so, these statistics are stacked in United’s favour.
United went on to win the Cup Winners Cup in 1991, of course, which means that if they manage to land this year’s Europa League - the only major trophy they’ve never won - they’d join Juventus, Ajax, Bayern Munich and Chelsea in making a clean sweep of all the big European prizes. Make no mistake, Jose Mourinho - who won this pot in 2003 with Porto - will fancy writing himself into history here. His team should be up for this.
All eyes will initially be on the Pogbas: United midfielder Paul is likely to come up against his older brother, St-Étienne defender Florentin, this evening. But there’s a fair chance the limelight will be stolen by Zlatan Ibrahimović, who very much enjoyed playing against tonight’s opponents during his time in France with Paris Saint-Germain. His record against them? Just the 14 goals in 13 games. Not that it’ll be a walk in the park: while United are unbeaten in 14 European fixtures at Old Trafford, Saint-Étienne are undefeated in their ten European games this season. It’s on!
Kick off: 8.05pm in Manchester, 9.05pm back in the Massif Central.
Updated
