Google+ PLANET FOOT 7: Rooney's double leads Manchester United to beat Bayer Leverkusen 4-2.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Rooney's double leads Manchester United to beat Bayer Leverkusen 4-2.

Wayne Rooney scored twice, including his 200th goal for Manchester United, to give David Moyes the perfect begin to his Champions League campaign with victory over Bayer Leverkusen tonight. 

Wayne Rooney scored twice, including his 200th goal for Manchester United, to give David Moyes the perfect begin to his Champions League campaign with victory over Bayer Leverkusen tonight. Rooney opened the scoring in the 22nd minute and added another midway through the second half to attain the significant milestone, before being substituted to a rapturous Old Trafford ovation in the 84th minute.

Robin van Persie and Antonio Valencia also got on the scoresheet for the Red Devils, after Simon Rolfes had equalised for Leverkusen early in the second half.

United's opener was contentious to say the least as Evra came very close to being offside from van Persie's pass, and then Antonio Valencia appeared to block Leverkusen keeper Bernd Leno as Rooney volleyed house the Frenchman's cross.

Bayer Leverkusen briefly threatened to battle back after conceding, but United controlled both possession and the tempo for much of the first-half.

Marouane Fellaini looked impressive in his Champions League debut and Shinji Kagawa, on his return to the United line-up, was unlucky not to score in the last minute of the first period when his shot from a Valencia cross was deflected narrowly broad.

United missed a golden opportunity to double their lead in the 52nd minute when Rooney took the ball round Leno, but failed to locate van Persie two yards out in front of an open goal.

And David Moyes' men were punished less than two minutes later when Simon Rolfes was teed up on the edge of the area by Heung-Min Son and curled a shot into David De Gea's top corner off Michael Carrick's knee.

United fought back straight away and had their guide restored by van Persie in the 59th minute, as the Dutchman brilliantly hooked a Valencia cross from slightly behind him, past the flailing Leno and into the Leverkusen goal.

The result was beyond doubt in the 70th minute when a David De Gea long ball bamboozled the Leverkusen defence, and Rooney lifted his shot over Leno having been put through one-upon-one.

The goal saw Rooney become just the fourth man to score 200 goals for United with the former Everton man joining Sir Bobby Charlton, Dennis Law and Jack Rowley in an elite club.

The action wasn't over though, and Valencia got a reward for a solid performance with a goal in the 79th minute after an Ashley Young-led counter attack, in which Rooney played the killer pass.

It was a fitting final contribution from Rooney, who was withdrawn shortly afterwards having dispelled any doubts about his commitment to the Manchester United cause following a summer of uncertainty.

Leverkusen pulled one back late through Omar Toprak after a goal-mouth scramble following a De Gea flap at a corner but it could do nothing to take away from Rooney's performance and Moyes' first win in Europe at the United helm.

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