And with that, this MBM comes to a natural end. Congratulations to Manchester United, who make a winning start to their Champions League campaign. Jamie Jackson was in Berne, and here’s his verdict. Thanks for reading; nighty night and sweet dreams!
And now Jose talks! “Job done. Not phenomenal but good enough. We had a difficult start, they were intense and compact, but after the first goal the game was under our control. There was probably some fear of injures early on; some players had sore ankles and backs after training yesterday. We are not used to playing on it. Now I can say because the game is over: I don’t understand how you can play the best club competition on an artificial pitch. I would not say this before the match. Paul Pogba had a good performance. He was tired which was why I took him off, but he gave the team class and scored a very good goal. And his penalty showed personality. Diogo Dalot did very well, as did Luke Shaw. Both full-backs were very, very good. Diogo is one of the best young right-backs in Europe already. It was important for us to win, because every team is probably going to make six points against Young Boys.”
Luke Shaw speaks: “It was an extremely difficult first 35 minutes, we didn’t start brightly. The pitch was difficult, but we got to grips with it. Paul came up with a bit of magic for the first goal. We’re always the favourites in games like this, but it’s always tough with the crowd and the atmosphere. It doesn’t matter how we play, it’s about getting the points, and we did that today. We’re professional footballers and we need to be able to play on any surface. Pogba gets some stick sometimes but for me he’s one of the best midfielders in the world. He’s shown what a leader he is, and long may that continue.”
Diogo Dalot adds: “I feel very good. I am happy for my debut, and happy for the win. My team-mates helped me to be comfortable, and I am so thankful for that, it helped me today. Young Boys are used to playing on this pitch, and I think it will be difficult for other teams to come here.”
That’s a brilliant night all round for United. They weathered an early storm from Young Boys, showcasing their spirit and tenacity; Paul Pogba crafted a superb goal from the tightest of spots; Anthony Martial gave Jose Mourinho a reminder of his talent; and the debutant Diogo Dalot looks a proper find. It’s a third away win in a row; confidence has been thoroughly restored after a shaky start to the season. Throw in Cristiano Ronaldo’s red card at Valencia - he could miss the match at Old Trafford now - and Manchester City’s shock home defeat to Lyon, and it’s been pretty much a perfect evening for them. They’re a crisis club, apparently.
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That result means United top Group H after one game. But they’re joined on three points by ten-man Juventus, who have won 2-0 at Valencia despite Cristiano Ronaldo’s first-half dismissal. Miralem Pjanić was their two-penalty hero. Daniel Parejo had a chance to score a consolation from the spot with the very last kick of the game, but Wojciech Szczęsny saved spectacularly. Who needs Gigi Buffon?
FULL TIME: Young Boys 0-3 Manchester United
Dalot swings a cross into the Young Boys area from the right. Lukaku bundles the ball into the net. But he’s offside. And that’s that. Four would have been very harsh on Young Boys, who gave United a game before the class of Paul Pogba told. United win their third away match in a row, and open their Champions League campaign with a win and a performance that started out solid but ended up very assured. Crisis, what crisis?!
90 min: There will be three added minutes. Someone ambles onto the pitch, smiling, and is quietly escorted off. A plastic pitch invasion.
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88 min: Moumi Ngamaleu embarks on a George Best style dribble, left to right across the face of the United box. He lays off for Mbabu, whose cross hits Shaw on the upper arm. It’s not a penalty, though you can’t blame Mbabu, harshly judged when conceding a spot kick himself, for asking. United have been the better team tonight, and thoroughly deserve their win. But the big decisions have gone their way too.
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86 min: Benito releases Suljemani down the left. Suljemani pulls one back for Nsame, who shoots for the bottom left and forces de Gea to turn the ball round the post for a corner. But the flag goes up for offside, correctly, on Suljemani. Only a sliver in it, though, and that was a good move by Young Boys.
85 min: Moumi Ngamaleu has a snapshot from the edge of the box, but it wafts into the arms of de Gea at low speed.
84 min: A right-wing cross hits Fellaini, standing just inside his own area. The crowd make an ironic holler for a penalty, not that any of it really matters now.
83 min: Now it’s Martial teeing up Mata with a low cross from the left. This time Mata’s shot flies harmlessly over the bar. He’s still feeling that challenge by Assale, if his furrowed brow is anything to go by.
82 min: Assale is booked for a late tackle on Mata. He can have no complaints. Mata felt that, and grimaces accordingly.
81 min: Shaw drives down the left and sends a low cross into the middle. Mata, arriving late, whistles a first-time shot inches wide of the bottom-left corner. Squint a bit, and that gorgeous high-speed combination could have been performed by David Beckham and Paul Scholes.
79 min: Sanogo loops a pass down the right and finds Nsame, who attempts a Marco van Bastenesque volley from a tight angle. It hits the corner flag on the left.
77 min: The first true lull of the evening. It’s been a highly entertaining game. “Let’s face it, it’s men against Boys out there.” Put your hands together for Peter Oh, ladies and gentleman. He’s here all week. Try the fondue.
75 min: Both teams make their final change. Hoarau is replaced by Nsame, while United’s two-goal hero Pogba is replaced by Pereira.
74 min: A corner for Young Boys down the right. Sulejmani takes, and sends a dipping curler onto the right foot of Camara, six yards out. He’s got to score, but sidefoots wide right. What an absurd miss!
72 min: Moumi Ngamaleu crosses deep from the right. Smalling heads it clear, above the now-quietened Hoarau, but the ball only falls to Aebischer on the edge of the box. He should work de Gea, but only manages to slash wildly over the bar.
71 min: The Young Boys fans are giving it plenty, a defiant display. They know their team of underdogs have put in a good performance this evening, despite the way it’s gone.
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69 min: Now he makes that change. Mata and Fellaini are sent on, in place of Fred and ... Rashford.
68 min: Mourinho was preparing to make a double change when that move unfolded. He’s having a quick rethink now. I’m guessing Martial was about to be hooked.
GOAL! Young Boys 0-3 Manchester United (Martial 66)
This was so simple. Pogba latches onto a loose ball and strides down the middle of the park. He could be forgiven for shooting for his hat-trick goal - he’s got time and space - but slips a pass to the left for Martial, who steps into the box and whacks low and hard. The ball deflects off the toe of Camara and into the bottom left, Von Ballmoos totally wrong-footed. Pogba has been simply wonderful tonight.
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65 min: A second change for Young Boys: Fassnacht is replaced by Moumi Ngamaleu.
64 min: ... and blooters it witlessly into the wall.
63 min: Martial skips in from the left and draws a foul from Aebischer. It’s a free kick, 25 yards out, to the left of centre. Rashford stands over it ...
62 min: Aebischer tries to thread a pass between Smalling and Shaw with the outside of his boot. If it had come off, Assale was clean through, but Smalling shuts the door just in time and intercepts.
60 min: Rashford has a speculative effort from distance. Nope. United have very much quietened the home crowd, though.
59 min: Sow pulls up, hamstrung. He limps off in sorrow, to be replaced by Aebischer.
58 min: Assale slips a ball down the inside-right channel for Fassnacht to chase. Fassnacht gets to the ball first, but Shaw’s right on his shoulder and ushers him wide right. Fassnacht still manages to deliver a cross-cum-shot from a tight angle, but de Gea gathers it unfussily at the near post.
57 min: Assale races down the left, Smalling very much on the back foot. He cuts inside and looks to pearl one across de Gea and into the top right. Nope! A poor shot, but his powerful dribble had United worried for a while there.
55 min: United look dangerous every time they break now. Lukaku robs Sanogo in the centre circle, and suddenly he’s busting forward with Martial and Pogba on either side. But his control lets him down. Then Young Boys go up the other end, the excellent Sulejmani dribbling down the left towards the byline. He fizzes a low cross into the middle. Assale tries to backflick one into the bottom right, but doesn’t make enough contact on the ball and it dribbles out for a goal kick. De Gea almost certainly had it covered anyway.
54 min: Nothing comes of that corner either. Meanwhile here’s Matt Richman: “Thing is, Pogba has consistently been an (if not the) outstanding outfield player since his return to Old Trafford. His passing range and ability to hold the ball and take it past a couple players makes for the engine-room x-factor missing for so long since Ronaldo left. So many of United’s goals since his return were born from a platform he built. There are times he plays the team into trouble and he certainly does not do himself any favours with some unfortunate soundbites to the media (plus his agent is a tool), but my fellow United fans would do well to be grateful for his presence.”
53 min: United are flowing nicely now. Martial, Pogba and Lukaku shuttle the ball at speed from left to right, teeing up Fred for a shot. His effort is deflected right of goal for a corner.
51 min: Nothing comes of the resulting corner.
50 min: Fred is booked for a totally pointless hack at Sow’s heels in the midfield. Then Sulejmani crosses from the left. Smalling chests the ball out of play for a corner. The home fans explode in anger; they want a penalty, thinking the ball has been played by Smalling’s right arm. But this time it’s the correct decision. The home fans are wild as thunder, but two wrongs and all that.
49 min: Young Boys haven’t recovered from United’s strong finish to the first half. They look addled. Rashford slips a pass down the inside right and releases Lukaku into the area. Lukaku should round the keeper and score, but fluffs his lines. But his side are well on top now.
47 min: United enjoy some early possession. Martial then turns quickly past Camara, and he’s clear down the inside left! But he hesitates, allowing yellow shirts to swarm around him. His eventual shot is blocked and gathered by Von Ballmoos.
Back in Berne, we’re off again! United, in full control now after an awkward start, get the ball rolling again for the second half.
Meanwhile news of that Ronaldo red card in the other Group H game. The Juve winger got in a tussle off the ball with Jeison Murillo, grabbing a handful of the Valencia defender’s hair and tugging it. Ronaldo went down the tunnel in theatrical despair; if that’s more than a one-game ban, he’ll miss Juve’s visit to his old stomping ground Old Trafford.
HALF TIME: Young Boys 0-2 Manchester United
From the corner, Sulejmani dribbles into the United box and earns another corner. There’s just enough time left for Young Boys to make a mess of it, and that’s that for the first half. Young Boys were probably the better side for the first 34 minutes, but then Pogba scored a screamer. The hosts will feel aggrieved by the subsequent penalty which looks to have put this match out of their reach. Pogba, though. What a player. And to think there’s folk who doubt him.
45 min: On the left-hand edge of the United box, Mbabu takes down a high ball gracefully, and lays off to Sulejmani, who shoots hard. His shot is deflected out for a corner.
GOAL! Young Boys 0-2 Manchester United (Pogba 44 pen)
Pogba does his stutter dance, then fizzes a no-nonsense effort into the top right. Von Ballmoos guessed the right way, yet he still had no chance of stopping that one!
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Penalty for Manchester United!
43 min: Shaw crosses from the left. It hits the right arm of Mbabu, and the referee points to the spot! That looks a pretty harsh decision, because Mbabu’s arms were pinned to his side, he was trying to get out of the way, and there wasn’t a lot of space between him and Shaw. But it’s a chance for United to take control of this match.
42 min: Von Bergen barges into the back of Lukaku, who has taken a sore whack. The big striker goes down and for a second looks to be in a lot of pain, but he’s back on his feet soon enough. United hearts were in mouths there for a second, no doubt worried that the striker had hurt himself on this rock-hard plastic pitch.
40 min: ... nothing occurs.
39 min: Shaw bustles down the left and wins a corner. Fred’s first delivery isn’t all that, but he gets another chance. The second corner is sent long, Lindelof rising high at the far post and heading down. Von Ballmoos does well to claw the ball away from under the bar. The ball’s hoicked out for a third United corner on the spin. From which ...
37 min: And if that’s not enough good news for United, City have gone a goal down at home to Lyon ... and Cristiano Ronaldo has been sent off for Juventus at Valencia! Now there’s something that could have a big effect on Group H!
GOAL! Young Boys 0-1 Manchester United (Pogba 35)
United have been on the rack. So Pogba goes up the other end and scores a belter! He one-twos with Fred down the inside-left channel, shifts the ball from his right foot to the left, and blasts an unstoppable effort into the top left! Von Ballmoos had no chance. Young Boys were on the front foot for a while back there, but that’s World Cup winning superstars for you!
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34 min: Now de Gea is forced to fingertip a rising Fassnacht shot over the bar. United are rocking a little bit here. The hosts are first to everything at the moment. De Gea punches the resulting corner clear.
33 min: A free kick for Young Boys out on the left. Sulejmani swings it into the mixer, forcing Smalling to flick out for a corner on the right. Camara gets his head onto the set piece, but not with any great force. United again escape.
31 min: So having praised Dalot to the skies, he now falls backwards on his arse in the comedic style, under pressure from the dribble of Fassnacht. Fortunately for United, Fassnacht panics upon finding himself clear and unmarked in the area, and his feet go into soft-shoe shuffle mode. He eventually gets a poor shot away. It’s blocked and rebounds to Sulejmani, who drags a shot from distance wide left. United - and Dalot - were very lucky to get away with that.
29 min: And now it’s Young Boys’ turn to spurn a glorious chance to get their opponents backtracking in panic. Fred gifts the ball to Sanogo in the centre circle. A simple pass forward, between Lindelof and Smalling, will set Assale clear. But there’s too much juice on the pass, and United breathe again. Assale would have been in on goal, and onside.
28 min: United very nearly opened the scoring here. Lukaku won the ball in the midfield and tried to send Rashford away into acres of space down the inside-right channel. Rashford would have been clean through on goal, but the pass clanked onto his ankle and the chance was gone.
27 min: It’s really not very clear who’ll score the opening goal in this match. Both teams look capable of scoring, both look capable of conceding. And it’s very decent entertainment as a result.
26 min: Martial is sent away down the left by a glorious crossfield Pogba pass. But again his cross is lacking. Camara heads clear without panic.
24 min: Martial busies himself down the left, but his final ball isn’t too hot and Von Ballmoos claims. Then Fassnacht breaks down the left, but he’s ushered away from danger by the seriously impressive Dalot.
22 min: Shaw makes good down the left and pulls one back for Rashford, who flicks the ball off the outside of the left-hand post. Unlucky! On the touchline, Mourinho rolls his eyes. Up the other end, Sanogo bustles down the right but can’t deliver a telling cross or shot, though he tries both.
20 min: United try to take the sting out of the game, stroking it around the middle in the careful style. But the second possession is finally lost, Sulejmani goes skittering down the right at hot speed. For a second it looks like he might go all the way, but there’s some hesitation and the move breaks down. Shame for the home side, as he had options to pass as well as a chance to shoot.
18 min: There’s no way this match is going to end goalless. It surely can’t end goalless. It just can’t.
17 min: Camara steps out of defence and Beckenbauers his way upfield. There’s no pass on, so he decides to go for goal from the best part of 30 yards. A heatseeker’s heading towards the top right, but de Gea tips over theatrically. What a shot, what a save! From the resulting corner, de Gea flaps a bit, but does enough to get the ball away from danger, and in any case he’s in credit for that outstanding save.
15 min: Mbabu causes Matic some heartache down the right and earns another corner. Sulejmani rises highest in a crowded area, but can’t connect with a ball that floats over his head. United breathe again.
14 min: The end-to-end fun continues apace. Assale dribbles down the inside-right channel and nearly breaks into the United box, but Smalling stands firm. Then Lukaku embarks on a power jog down the left, only to shoot into the side netting from a tight angle.
12 min: Young Boys earn a corner on the right, Fassnacht and Sulejmani causing Shaw some angst. From the set piece, Sulejmani tries to guide the ball goalwards, but Matic gets in the road and the ball rolls softly back to de Gea. This is marvellously open.
10 min: Dalot looks a real player. He bests the struggling Benito down the right and reaches the byline. He chips softly into the arms of Von Ballmoos, a sorry end, but what a run.
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9 min: Rashford sashays past Benito down the right. He crosses low. Lukaku tries to emulate Lee Sharpe’s outrageous backflick against Barcelona back in the day, but gets it all wrong.
8 min: Mbabu sends a long ball down the right and nearly releases Sanogo, but Smalling is across to clump the ball into touch. From the throw, Mbabu whips a cross into the centre. Hoarau should score, rising high and unchallenged on the penalty spot, but his header flashes wide left. Had that been on target, it would have beaten de Gea.
6 min: What a lovely open start to this match. Dalot and Mbabu have already lit up this game with some magnificent work out on their respective right wings. Another 84 minutes of this would be most agreeable.
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4 min: Dalot’s wasting no time! He dribbles with great purpose down the right and wins a corner off Benito. That’s great dribbling. But once again United’s set-piece delivery is beyond useless, and once again Young Boys tear away upfield on the break! Mbabu burns his way past Shaw and into acres down the right. His low cross is just behind Hoarau and United mop up.
3 min: It’s a poorly contested corner, and Young Boys rip away up the other end! United are light at the back, but Benito can’t punish them and his loose play sees the ball once again cradled in de Gea’s embrace.
2 min: Diogo Dalot’s first touch as a Manchester United player is a peachy one. He curls in dangerously from the right, only just missing the head of Lukaku, 12 yards out. Martial, out on the left, gets on the loose ball and earns a corner.
And we’re off! The hosts get the ball rolling. A huge roar in the atmospheric Stade de Suisse. The ball’s launched long, Hoarau makes a bit of a nuisance of himself, and the ball ends up in de Gea’s arms.
These new 8pm kick-offs are going to take some getting used to. We should be the best part of 15 minutes in by now. Anyway, the teams are out! Young Boys are in their wasp-like, Dortmundesque yellow and black; United wear their famous red shirts and white shorts. We’ll be off before you know it!
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And here are the pre-match thoughts of Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho. He’s been talking to BT Sport. “Everybody knows the top tennis players have their natural habitat, where they are best. But they have to play where they are not the best, and they have to win there. With us it is the same, though the referee made a comment to me that he was surprised the pitch was so hard. Even the referee was not expecting that. So it is going to be difficult, but we have to win. I ask the players: better here, or better in Rostov? They said better here. So if it’s better here, let’s do the job we did in Rostov two years ago. [United drew 1-1 with Rostov in the last 16 of the Europa League in 2017.] I left Valencia at home because his knee doesn’t need the impact of this surface, but also I wanted some fresh players in to keep motivation high, and give chances for players to prove themselves. Diogo Dalot’s first match last season was a big Portuguese derby, Porto-Sporting, and he played at Anfield against Liverpool in the Champions League, so he is a strong personality. It is a very good opportunity for him.”
What to expect from group-stage newcomers Young Boys? Here’s our man Jamie Jackson’s dispatch from Berne.
The old stadium was a singular place. One of the great World Cup venues. The iconic clock tower. Longines certainly got their money’s worth with that sponsorship deal.
It isn’t quite so windswept and romantic in its new guise, however. This is what’s under the stadium today.
Tonight’s game takes place at the Stade de Suisse, which was built on the site of the old Wankdorf Stadium. The old pile is best remembered for staging one of the most jaw-dropping matches in football history, the 1954 World Cup final, aka the Miracle of Bern. Here’s the story, told rather magnificently, by John Ashdown.
The team news. Manchester United make four changes to the starting XI named at Watford last weekend. Alexis Sanchez, Ashley Young, Marouane Fellaini and Antonio Valencia make way for Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Fred and - making his debut for the club - Diogo Dalot. Young Boys meanwhile welcome back this chap:
The teams
Young Boys: Von Ballmoos, Mbabu, Camara, von Bergen, Benito, Fassnacht, Sow, Sanogo, Sulejmani, Hoarau, Assale.
Subs: Wolfli, Bertone, Ngamaleu, Nsame, Schick, Aebischer, Garcia.
Manchester United: de Gea, Dalot, Smalling, Lindelof, Shaw, Fred, Matic, Pogba, Martial, Lukaku, Rashford.
Subs: Romero, Bailly, Sanchez, Mata, Andreas Pereira, Young, Fellaini.
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (Germany).
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Preamble
For a team supposedly in crisis, Manchester United are in a decent enough place at the moment. They’ve won their last two games, away at Burnley and Watford; Romelu Lukaku is in the goals, with four already to his name this campaign; and Jose Mourinho appears to have shaken off his early-season funk, his side showing signs of working their way into a groove at exactly the right time, with the Champions League heaving into view.
On paper, and if history is any guide, the champions of Switzerland shouldn’t cause United too many problems. Young Boys, making their group-stage debut tonight, have come a cropper every time they’ve faced English opposition in Europe: Spurs put them out of the Champions League in 2010-11, 6-3 on aggregate; Liverpool won 5-3 in Berne in the 2012-13 Europa League groups; and Everton pasted them 7-2 on aggregate in the first knockout phase of the 2014-15 Europa League. A certain Romelu Lukaku scored five of Everton’s goals in that tie. It all augurs well.
Only problem is, this game isn’t going to be played on paper. It’s not going to be played on grass, either: the Stade de Suisse in Berne has a plastic pitch. That’s a big advantage for the Swiss ... not that Mourinho is looking for any excuses. He knows his team must start fast in a tight group that also includes Valencia and, to give them their full name, Cristiano Ronaldo’s Juventus, explaining accordingly with a not particularly oblique reference to local hero Roger Federer: “We are in Switzerland, the home of one of the best-ever tennis players, and I’m pretty sure the big man sometimes is not happy to play on such a surface but he has to play and has to win. He has a favourite surface but he has to win on the surfaces he is not in love with. We have to do it.”
So having rediscovered some form, United will be hopeful of meeting their manager’s demands. But nothing’s certain, because Young Boys have won nine of their ten games so far this season, drawing the other. It’s the group stage of the Champions League. It’s the 1959 semi-finalists versus the 1968, 1999 and 2008 winners. It’s on!
Kick off: 9pm local, 8pm BST.
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