Manchester United made their long awaited return to Champions League football under the management of Jose Mourinho and got off to a winning start with a 3-0 win over FC Basel at Old Trafford.
There are plenty of lessons to be learned from this match, especially for Mourinho’s side who will want his team to play at a quicker tempo to punish teams who sit back as much as Basel did. As for Raphaël Wicky, he will be pleased with his side’s performance on their return to the competition but will know that their matches against United will not decide his side’s destiny.
3Marouane Fellaini is a valued member of United’s squad
Mourinho praised the 29-year-old midfielder in the lead up to this game, saying that he felt ‘weaker’ when the Belgian was not part of his squad. He has missed a few games in recent weeks through injury, but he returned for this match as a substitute. He was called into action earlier than planned due to the injury suffered to Pogba, but he took no time in getting back up to speed.
He gave United the lead with 35 minutes played as he headed in Ashley Young’s sublime cross. It was a vital goal for Mourinho’s side as they had really struggled to break down Basel’s backline in the first-half and were left frustrated for large periods. Fellaini has a habit of coming up with vital goals for United, and it was no different in this game.
