Headers from Diogo Dalot and Marcus Rashford and a late goal from Cristiano Ronaldo helped Manchester United ease past Sheriff Tiraspol in their MD5 Europa League clash. The win means that the battle for top spot in the group will extend to the final matchday, with Erik ten Hag’s men needing to beat Real Sociedad by two goals or more at the Anoeta to leapfrog the Spanish outfit.
Sociedad currently have a 100% record in the UEL, having won all five of their games so far. If United win 1-0, the two teams will be tied on H2H, but Sociedad will finish first on account of their superior goal difference. Finishing first allows the winner to avoid the extra playoff tie, which could involve some tricky opponents (Barca, Juve and Atleti for example).
United took the lead through Dalot’s header from a corner just before the interval- it was his first goal for the Red Devils since January 2020 (against Tranmere in the FA Cup). Rashford’s header on 65 minutes doubled their advantage.
Cristiano Ronaldo, one of four changes to United’s starting XI for this game, was denied on several occasions before finally finding the back of the net in the 81st minute- slotting in from close range after Sheriff keeper Koval had spilt the Portuguese superstar’s initial header.
