Manchester United secured their place in the knock-out stages of the Europa League with a 2-0 win over FC Sheriff on Thursday night.
A comfortable evening for the hosts saw Diogo Dalot open the scoring via a header from a corner just before the break before second-half goals from Marcus Rashford and Cristiano Ronaldo - his first of the season at Old Trafford - sealed the points.
United need to beat Real Sociedad by two goals or more in the final group match to top the group and avoid the extra play-off round that those who finish second have to play. There were several talking points during the game, but there were a handful of moments fans may have missed.
READ MORE: Player ratings vs FC Sheriff
Erik ten Hag and Dalot react to Antony showboat
Neither Erik ten Hag or Dalot were impressed with Antony’s first-half trademark skill, which saw him unfurl his ‘Anturny’ showpiece by dragging the ball in a circle with his left foot in one motion with the game goalless.
He then tried to thread a ball through to Casemiro but hit it out of play. This prompted an angered shake of the head from Ten Hag and a berating from Dalot. Antony was taken off at half-time but the Reds boss insisted this was pre-planned.
Ronaldo’s thumbs up to fans after goal
Ronaldo hit the ‘sleeping’ celebration again after scoring United’s third of the night rather than his usual ‘Siu’ pose. After receiving the plaudits of his team-mates, he turned to the crowd to acknowledge them and give a thumbs up.
This was Ronaldo’s first match since being dropped for Chelsea after his early exit against Tottenham. His entrance onto the field for the warm-up was greeted with a mixed reaction but all were cheering him when the ball hit the net, and the superstar made sure to recognise that.
Ronaldo congratulates Garnacho at full-time
Ronaldo made a point of congratulating Alejandro Garnacho after the final whistle after a terrific display from the 18-year-old on his full senior debut. The winger produced some excellent moments of play that got the fans off their seats.
The youngster was given a huge round of applause when he was subbed off and Ronaldo, Garancho’s footballing idol, ensured he showed his appreciation too, giving him a hug and some words of encouragement at the end.
Martinez talks tactics with Casemiro in tunnel
Ahead of kick-off, Lisandro Martinez was approaching the game as focused as ever, despite the inferior strength of the opposition whose manager resigned just 48 hours ago. The defender was seen chatting away to midfield pivot Casemiro, using finger gestures that clearly informed viewers that he was chatting about in-game positional play.
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