Report: Cluj 1 United 2

dropping to the bench.

The Reds made a bright start in terms of possession, but there was only really a half-chance for Anderson, which he dragged wide from the edge of the area on 10 minutes, to show for it. Much had been made about the poor starts United have made to a number of games this season in the pre-match press conference and, unfortunately, that unwelcome trend continued when Cluj took the lead – from their first real attack - on 14 minutes through Kapetanos. And it was all too easy for the home side.

After the ball had been brilliantly spread wide to Modou Sougou, the winger raced down the right channel before firing a low cross into the path of Kapetanos, who swept the ball past De Gea.

The Reds weren’t about to let this latest of early setbacks get them down though and the ideal response was almost immediate with Rooney seeing a shot parried by Mario Felgueiras and both Anderson and van Persie flashing efforts just wide.

You felt an equaliser was not far away, particularly given Cluj had only kept two clean sheets in their previous 12 home games, and it duly arrived, via some good fortune, on 29 minutes when a Rooney free-kick from the left wing flicked off van Persie’s shoulder and looped in over Felgueiras.