St Etienne vs Manchester United as it happened: Henrikh Mkhitaryan goal enough for second leg win
Re-live updates from the Europa League last-32 second leg at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard
Manchester United’s Europa League campaign continues in France with a last-32 second leg at Saint-Etienne.
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Your support makes all the difference.Jose Mourinho’s side lead 3-0 on aggregate, courtesy of a Zlatan Ibrahimovic hat-trick in last week’s first leg at Old Trafford.
Wayne Rooney is one of three players left at home for this trip, with Luke Shaw and Matteo Darmian also omitted from Mourinho’s 20-man squad.
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What time is kick-off?
The match will kick off at 5.00pm on Wednesday 22 February.
Where can I watch it?
It will be shown live on BT Sport 3, with coverage starting at 4.30pm.
It’s a big game for…
Marcus Rashford: It’s almost a year to the day since the youngster broke into United’s first-team with that hat-trick against Midtjylland at the same stage of this competition.
Rashford’s progression has slowed somewhat, but following suggestions that Mourinho sees him as Ibrahimovic’s long-term replacement and a goal against Blackburn, he will enter this fixture confident.
Remember when…
These two sides previously met in the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1977. The leg in Saint-Etienne is remembered for violence in the stands, which was so bad, the return leg had to be played 400km away from Old Trafford, at Plymouth’s Home Park.
Past three-meetings
Manchester United 3 Saint-Etienne 0
Europa League, February 2017
Manchester United 2 Saint-Etienne 0
Cup Winners’ Cup, October 1977
Saint-Etienne 1 Manchester United 1
Cup Winners’ Cup, September 1977
Form guide
Saint-Etienne: WLWLL
Manchester United: DWWWW
Odds
Provided by 888.com
Saint-Etienne: 47/20
Manchester United: 11/9
Draw: 9/4
The players are walking out onto the pitch and the Pogba brothers just exchanged pats on the back as they left the tunnel. The Stade Geoffroy-Guichard is rocking, what a superb atmosphere. Especially considering Saint-Étienne have about 0% chance of winning this tie.
1 min: Ibrahimovic kicks off and we're underway. Saint-Étienne immediately get on the ball and Saivet dribbles down the wing before laying it off to Malcuit, but his low cross is straight into the arms of Romero.
3 mins: Pogba - the one who plays for Saint-Étienne - takes too long on the ball and is crowded off it by Fellaini and Mata, but the latter fails to keep the ball in play out on the right wing.
It's a bright start for the hosts and Monnet-Paquet has the ball in a dangerous position deep into the United half, but Young shoulders him off it and wins the goal-kick.
5 mins: The commentators are referring to Ibrahimovic as the 'Scourge of Saint-Étienne'. He gets his first touch on the ball after Carrick spots him peeling away to the left but fails to bring the through ball under control.
He gets roundly booed by the home supporters for his troubles.
6 mins: United are quite wisely taking the sting out of Saint-Étienne's early attacking intent, with Smalling and Bailly playing the possession game. They eventually move it forward and Fellaini makes a smart run down the wing, but Pogba beats him to the ball and clears.
7 mins: Early mistake from Romero. Carrick plays it all the way back to the keeper after that Pogba clearance and Romero slices his long kick up-field out of play for a needless Saint-Étienne throw-in.
9 mins: Saint-Étienne enjoyed a very busy first five minutes but United are now looking like the team in control. They're still in possession and Pogba and Mkhitaryan combine nicely, but the latter's chip over the top - aimed at Ibrahimovic - has too much on it, and the home side clear.
Carrick then wins a free-kick after getting a shove in the back, much to the discuss of the Saint-Étienne supporters. United waste it though, punting it long into the grateful arms of Ruffier.
10 mins: Early chance for United! Pogba drifts out onto the left, beats his man, shapes into the box and attempts to flick the ball into the path of Ibrahimovic, who has made his way into the penalty area. It's a nice idea, but he doesn't get enough power on his rather delicate cross and an onrushing Ruffier is able to pluck the ball out of danger.