Man Utd 5 Brugge 0: Ighalo scores first goal as Red Devils punish ten-man Belgians after bizarre handball
ODION IGHALO fell to his knees and pointed to the sky.
A moment of elation mixed with pain.
A goal for Manchester United but one he had already said he would dedicate to his dead sister Mary.
He would reveal a picture of her to the camera on T shirt underneath his top once all his teammates had left him following the celebrations for his 34th minute opener.
United has always been the club of his dreams the one Mary prayed he would one day play for.
A beloved sister who was never able to see those prayers answered after she died suddenly at the age of 43 in December after collapsing at home in Canada…
He has her name inscribed on his boots.
It was those boots that turned the ball home after a superb Crossfield ball from Bruno Fernandes found Juan Mata who teed up Ighalo with a first time pass into the six-yard box.
With the ball slightly behind him Ighalo stretched his right foot back, held off the challenge of Clinton Mata and turn his shot in.
The Nigerian may have dreamed of this moment.
Not in his wildest one, however, would he have thought it would be a reality.
He left Watford for China two-and-a-half years ago.
Just last month he was still there with Shanghai Shenhua.
Now he was scoring at Old Trafford in his first start as a United player.
On loan, maybe, but with the carrot of an extra year here dangling before him if he can have an impact between now and the end of the season.
Anthony Martial’s muscle injury in training on Wednesday gave Ighalo his chance to start after three substitute appearances.
His goal was the headline moment in a thumping victory for United as they booked their place in today’s last 16 Europa League draw in Nyon.
The tie was over before half time.
After an incredible ping-pong opening that could have seen goals at either end United took the lead from the penalty spot on 26 minutes through that man Fernandes.
It was a full four minutes 20 seconds from the award to him actually putting the ball in the net thanks to another bizarre VAR moment.
It was a clear handball from Daniel James shot by Simon Deli as he dived to his left and the ref.
It was definitely a penalty but the referee was urged to check a screen to see if it was a clear goalscoring chance and his red card for Deli should stand.
He decided it was and Deli’s walk to the tunnel that began with an immediate red was urged to continue.
Fernandes was still waiting to take the penalty, but stayed cool. As on Sunday he did his little hop at the end of his run up to wrong foot the goalkeeper and slot the ball home.
It was the 15th penalty United have been awarded this season, but they have missed four.
Fernandes does not miss. That is 14 consecutive successful spot kicks from the former Sporting Lisbon midfielder dating back four years.
After Ighalo had added the second, fit-again Scott McTominay celebrated his first start since Boxing Day with number three.
Fred set him up with the pass and McTominay planted an assured low side-footed drive into the bottom left-hand corner.
Brugge were done. Their boss Philippe Clement said his side would need ‘more than a miracle’ to advance into the last 16 as they were missing two key players through injury.
Club captain Ruud Vormer and main striker Emmanuel Dennis, who got the Brugge goal in the first leg, both got injured in the 1-0 win over Charleroi on Sunday in the Belgian pro-league, which they top.
They dominate at home and haven’t lost a game in 14 before last night.
United still remain a big step up for most teams.
Fred rounded off last night’s scoring with two late goals one in the 82nd minute set up unselfishly by sub Jesse Lingard the last of the five came with the final kick of the game.
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With those two the Brazilian tripled his goalscoring tally for the club.
Solskjaer’s side are now on a seven game unbeaten run winning five of them and have chalked up eight clean sheets in their last 11.
There are some big names left in today’s draw for the next round. My bet is they’ll get Wolves and if they do they will have played them six times this season.
