Javier Hernandez fired Manchester United a late victory over Valencia last night in what was only Sir Alex Ferguson’s second win in 19 attempts against Spanish opposition in the Champions League.
The Mexican striker came off the substitute’s bench to fizz a left foot shot past Cesar Sanchez in the 85th minute scoring his first European goal since his £7million arrival in the summer.
The result sends United top of group C joint with Rangers, who recorded their first win in the tournament in three seasons, and will in all likeliness qualify for the knockout stages with another four points.
Against a backdrop of industrial strikes over government cuts fans inside the Mestalla stadium – Iberian and sunburnt Mancunian’s alike - must have feared that Spanish austerity had manifested into their beloved football: this match threatened to never burst into live.
As is often the case away from Old Trafford in this tournament Ferguson preferred a five-man midfield with Dimitar Berbatov, whose rejuvenated finishing has been lethal in recent weeks, deployed as the lone striker in Wayne Rooney’s absence.
That Berbatov’s appearance marked his first start in the competition since CSKA Moscow in the corresponding stages last season shows how important the Bulgarian has become, especially as Rooney’s form evades him, to United. An early pot-strike from the Bulgarian was closer than either Sanchez or television angles seemed willing to accept.
As Valencia were without influential winger Joaquin, injured during training, the responsibility of carving open United, a hallmark of this summer’s World Cup winning Spanish side, fell to Pablo Hernandez. The midfielder was too often allowed space, afforded by the returning Michael Carrick and left-back Patrice Evra, and played a couple of bewitching balls across the penalty box.
The best chance of a lacklustre half fell, quite literally, to Roberto Solando. Hernandez outwitted Evra to play a ball that was subsequently spilled by Edwin Van Der Sar onto Solando’s head. The ball though dropped just over the net.
In the second half United shifted the ball with greater venom and purpose but it was only when Ferguson replaced the isolated Berbatov and ineffective Anderson with Frederico Macheda and Javier Hernandez that things clicked.
Almost immediately Darren Fletcher sought a lunging Hernandez who half-connected with a volley that struck the post. Both he and Macheda, preferred over the more natural poacher Michael Owen, linked for what would prove the decisive effort.
Macheda cutting into the box from the right passed into Hernandez who with his first touch guided the ball out of the defence’s way for him to find half a second to crash a shot into the bottom corner with his left foot.
United, confirming patterns discerned in the start to their season, were sub-standard and a better side may have punished their lack of midfield guile and defensive assuredness. Although Rio Ferdinand was given the opportunity to rekindle his partnership with Nemanja Vidic it will take time to form the sort of understanding that made them the best pairing in Europe two seasons ago.
Ferguson will also have to rely on better closing down and initiative from his midfield. Fletcher and Carrick were caught leaving large gaps in midfield for Valencia to waltz into and the pair didn’t manage test Sanchez a single time. There must be greater on-field cohesiveness between midfield and forward’s and a return of defensive astuteness if United are to reclaim their greatest prize.
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