MU 3-1 Newcastle: The Red Devils rediscover their winning form.
After a setback against Aston Villa, MU rediscovered their winning form by defeating Newcastle 3-1. The three points also helped MU maintain their third position in the Premier League table with 35 points from 18 rounds.
Rooney shines with a brace of goals.
Goal
MU:Rooney (23, 36'), Van Persie (53')
Newcastle:Cisse (87', penalty)
Premier League 2014/15 Standings
Di Maria unexpectedly suffered an injury, preventing him from participating in the match against Newcastle. Without Di Maria, Rooney continued to be deployed as a midfielder by Van Gaal in the 3-5-2 formation.
In the past, Newcastle have always been easy prey for the Red Devils. But last night, the Magpies clearly started the game with extreme confidence. They defended proactively and always attacked when they had the chance. Perez's speed, in particular, made the MU defenders sweat at least once. Newcastle's best chance came in the 20th minute. Right-back Janmaat dribbled straight into the center of the Red Devils' defense and unleashed a powerful shot. But once again, De Gea's brilliance saved MU.
Newcastle started better but were the first to concede. In the 23rd minute, Falcao delivered an accurate cross for Rooney to score the opening goal. Rooney's goal was the turning point of the match. While MU played with increasing confidence, Newcastle collapsed easily. In that situation, it's no surprise that MU quickly scored further goals. Between the 36th and 53rd minutes, the Red Devils scored two goals through Rooney and Van Persie.
Van Persie and Falcao both made their mark.
This was clearly a match where Rooney made a huge impact on MU's victory. He was always present in crucial areas in front of Newcastle's goal, as evidenced by the two goals Rooney scored. Furthermore, Rooney excelled in his role as a playmaker, providing the assist for Van Persie's goal. Even without playing as a striker, Rooney still knew how to shine, even when Van Gaal moved him to a deeper role.
With the three points earned, MU rediscovered their winning form after being cut short by Aston Villa last week. Currently, the Red Devils have 35 points from 18 rounds, still a considerable distance behind the top two teams, Chelsea and Man City. However, hope for MU in the title race remains. Their schedule is quite favorable for a long time ahead. Specifically, from now until mid-March, Van Gaal's team will not have to face any of the Big Five teams. This will be an opportunity for MU to pull ahead, similar to what Man City has done recently.
STARTING LINEUP
MU:De Gea, Jones, McNair, Evans, Valencia (Rafael, 80'), Rooney, Carrick (Fletcher, 62'), Young, Mata, Falcao (Wilson, 65')s, Van Persie.
Newcastle:Alnwick, Janmaat, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Dummett (Cabella, 63'), Anita, Colback, Armstrong (Cissé, 63'), Sissoko, Gouffran, Perez (Vuckic, 82').
According to Bongda+
