This was not an evening that will live long in the memory but Manchester United got the job done professionally and there were individual morsels of good news, too. They needed to give themselves a foothold in Group E and, against a bright but blunt Sheriff Tiraspol, that was achieved with ultimate ease.
A third goal of the season for Jadon Sancho paved the way and perhaps provided some consolation for his latest omission from the England squad; before half-time Cristiano Ronaldo, not used to waiting this long, broke his duck for the campaign with a penalty and a strong United side eased home after that.
