Download Video: Manchester United 0 vs 0 Valencia (Champions League) – Highlights & Goals
Manchester United have four points from two Champions League games, but their displayin a stalemate against Valencia was far from positive.
Manchester United have now gone four games without a win in all competitions following Tuesday’s 0-0 Champions League draw with Valencia at Old Trafford.
Fresh from a humbling week in which they exited the EFL Cup to Derby County and lost 3-1 to West Ham in the Premier League, Jose Mourinho’s side produced another lifeless display in their second continental game of the season.
A total of just five shots on target being mustered between the two sides over the whole match underlined the lack of attacking quality, with United again unable to get the best out of Alexis Sanchez, restored to the starting line-up after being dropped at the weekend.
The result means the Red Devilsare second in Group H, two points behind Juventus and three above third-place Valencia, but the manner of the display will do little to ease the pressure on their under-fire manager, with Marcus Rashford’s late free-kick the closest they game to a winner.
United started with far greater urgency than they managed against West Ham after kick-offhad been delayed due to local traffic problems, but Valencia soon quietened the Old Traffordcrowd with some sustained possession and one or two promising breaks down the left from Goncalo Guedes.
Rashford, starting from the left of the United attack, tried two optimistic efforts from range but there was little else of note from the home side in the final third, with Romelu Lukaku managing only one touch of theball in the Valencia box in the first half.
Paul Pogba stung the palms of goalkeeper Neto with a free-kick as United at last began to increase the pressure in the second half, but a scarcity of any sort of link-up between the front three meant the Brazilian was largely untested.
Valencia were equally unconvincing going forward butMichy Batshuayi wasted a goodchance midway through the second half, lashing over on thehalf-volley following a Francis Coquelin cross.
Lukaku at last came to life with a strong run and shot that Neto saved well to his right, before Mourinho introduced Anthony Martial for the frustrating Sanchez in a bid to spark his attack into life.
Martial won a free-kick from a tight angle from which Rashfordclipped the top of the crossbar, before Lukaku headed over when unmarked in the box, but that was as close as the hosts came to ending their winless run.
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