Marcus Rashford was decisive again, scoring from a free-kick in the second half for Manchester United to beat RC Celta de Vigo 1-0 in their first-leg Europa League semi-final on Thursday.
Rashford, who netted an extra-time winner against RSC Anderlecht in the quarter-finals, drove a right-foot strike over the wall and into the far-left corner in the 67th minute, securing United the advantage going into the second leg in Manchester next week.
“It’s a positive result that leaves us with the advantage, but it’s a small advantage,” United coach Jose Mourinho said.
Photo: AP
The Europa League is the only European club competition United have yet to win.
It also gives United a good chance of returning to the Champions League, as they sit in fifth place in the Premier League.
Celta, playing in their first major European semi-final, lost for the first time in their past six European games.
“We are going to have to go there and score goals, as we did other times,” Celta coach Eduardo Berizzo said. “We play in a similar way at home and away, we will try to be more effective than we were today.”
Celta scored goals in all six away matches in the Europa League. They overcame a 1-0 loss at home in the round of 32 to Shakhtar Donetsk and advanced by 2-0 win in the second leg.
Celta also defeated Real Madrid away from home in the Copa del Rey and eventually eliminated Madrid.
Rashford made the trip to Vigo by nearly 1,000 United fans worthwhile. Celta goalkeeper Sergio Alvarez took a couple of small steps the other way just before the teenage striker took his free-kick and was not able to come back in time to make the stop.
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