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
14 mins: Another half-chance for Zlatan. Carrick flings a deep cross into the Saint-Étienne box but Ibrahimovic doesn't get enough on his header and the French side clear.
16 mins: Malcuit looks a tidy little player, operating at right-back for Saint-Étienne. He's had some nice touches early on but United are still dominating possession at the moment, and looking the most likely to break the deadlock.
GOAL! Saint-Étienne 0-1 (0-4) Manchester United (Mkhitaryan '16)
Mkhitaryan scores the opener! "That might be the goal that puts the whole tie to bed," the commentator remarks. Quite.
17 mins: It was a lovely finish from Mkhitaryan. Pogba brought United into Saint-Étienne's final third and moved the ball out wide, to Mata. The Spaniard looked up, spotted the run of Mkhitaryan and floated a low, inch-perfect cross into the box.
Ruffier wasn't quick enough off his line and so afforded the time for Mkhitaryan to gently side-foot the ball across the face of goal and United are now 4-0 up on aggregate.
20 mins: Unfortunately there's not been much of a response from Saint-Étienne since that goal. As it stands they somehow need to score five goals if they are to progress tonight.
22 mins: The home fans are still having a lovely time, mind.
23 mins: United go close to a second! Ibrahimovic releases Mata with a smart through ball to his left and continues his run, breaking into the Saint-Étienne penalty area. He wants the ball back and Mata duly fires in a low cross hoping to pick his run, but Perrin is there to cut the ball out.
In fact, he almost stumbles into his own goal, but Ruffier is alert to the danger, and the French clear.
25 mins: United looking very close to stretching their lead even further. Mkhitaryan almost gets on the end of a through-ball, but he's adjudged to have shoved Malcuit.