Even Cristiano Ronaldo, stony-faced for most of a thunderous night, raised his hands above his heads and applauded.
He was saluting Jadon Sancho’s opening strike but he could have been acclaiming this entire United performance. Vibrant, direct, energetic, committed, robust, and not short of technical excellence that has been a stranger to this squad for some considerable time.
And Ronaldo, alongside Harry Maguire on the United bench before making a late cameo, could have been clapping Marcus Rashford for his welcome, long overdue return to proper football. Rashford had his best game for an age but he was not alone there - think Bruno Fernandes and Sancho. And there was a star turn from Lisandro Martinez who looked far more comfortable alongside Raphael Varane.
