Club Brugge 1 Man Utd 1: Anthony Martial scores again as Red Devils earn away goal advantage in Belgium
ANTHONY MARTIAL found the net to give Manchester United a slight advantage in their last 32 clash with Club Brugge in the Europa League.
They head back to Old Trafford next week on level terms as the Frenchman cancelled out an early Emmanuel Dennis opener.
Former Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet launched the ball up field and Brandon Williams was caught in the starting blocks as he and Emmanuel Dennis raced for it.
Romero misjudged his part in the drama as he came off his line to try and meet it first.
Dennis was the winner getting a toe on it and flicking a shot over Romero from 35 yards out and into the unguarded goal.
Advantage Brugge and well deserved too as they had looked brighter and sharper in the first half.
Yet United would go into the break on level terms thanks to Martial.
It was his 14th goal of the season adding to his opener on Monday against Chelsea on Monday night.
He was alert to a loose throw by Maxim De Cuyper right on halfway picking the ball up and racing away.
Now it was about keeping his composure as he bore down on goal but he did just that slipping a low shot past Mignolet.
A moment to warm the hearts of the United fans who had been drenched on the way into the Jan Breydelstadion.
To be fair there was little else to be had.
Although Jesse Lingard came close to scoring on what was his 200th appearance for the club.
Despite an otherwise quiet game for the attacking midfielder he did get on the end of Diogo Dalot cross from the right flank early in the second half sending the ball just the wrong side of the near post.
There was another opening for United when Juan Mata broke and fed Martial but his return ball caught Brugge defender Simon Deli who almost wrong footed Mignolet.
Looking for a winner Ole Solskjaer brought on loan striker Odion Ighlao into the action midway through the second-half for Martial but no chances would fall his way.
In fact it was Brugge ruing a missed opportunity to go to Old Trafford next week with an advantage.
Their big chance came in the 78th minute when a cross from Clinton Mata found Odilon Kossouno unmarked ten yards out but the moment was too much for him as he scuffed his shot wide.
With time running out and United creating little Solskjaer called for the cavalry in the form of Bruno Fernandes as a late sub.
He could not alter this drab affair either.
Still it’s advantage United, just, as they head back to Old Trafford for the second-leg.