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Neal Simpson

As it happened: St Etienne v Manchester United, Europa League, last-32

Jose Mourinho’s side take a commanding lead into this evening’s second leg in France.
22 Feb 2017 FULL-TIME: St Etienne 0-1 Manchester United (0-4 on agg)  Jorginho has a strike straight at Romero and that’s all she wrote. United ease into the last-16 after a handy night. Mourinho will be disappointed with the red card to Bailly, and...
22 Feb 2017 46 mins SECOND HALF – We’re up and running once again. You feel it’s a case of damage limitation for St Etienne from here.
22 Feb 2017 HALF-TIME: St Etienne 0-1 Manchester United (0-4 on agg) 

FULL-TIME: St Etienne 0-1 Manchester United (0-4 on agg) 

Jorginho has a strike straight at Romero and that’s all she wrote. United ease into the last-16 after a handy night.

Mourinho will be disappointed with the red card to Bailly, and he won’t be happy if Mkhiaryan’s injury keeps him out of Sunday’s EFL final.

90 mins – Just three minutes of time added on to play.

77 mins – Rashford has been lively since his introduction and pokes a shot just past the post. Then Imbrahimovic shoots wide of the target.

Their side may be 4-0 down on aggregate and heading out of the competition, but St Etienne’s fans are still in full voice. Impressive.

67 mins - Fabien Lermoine replaces Veretout for the final 23 minutes plus stoppages.

63 mins RED CARD! Minutes after receiving his first booking, Bailly receives a soft second and his marching orders — meaning Man United are down to ten men.

That prompts Mourinho to bring on Marco Rojo for Mata.

60 mins ANOTHER CHANGE – Bastian Schweingsteiger is getting a rare run for Carrick.

57 mins – Fellaini is put through but it’s a narrow angle and he opts to shoot into the sidenetting instead of squaring the ball to Ibrahimovic.

Moments earlier, Paul Pogba had gone down in the box under a nudge from Theophile-Catherine, but the referee waved play on.

53 mins SUBSTITUTION – St Etienne withdraw Saviet for Jorge Intima.

51 mins - Rashford goes racing in on goal but Malcuit gets a touch to take the ball away from the youngster.

46 mins SECOND HALF – We’re up and running once again. You feel it’s a case of damage limitation for St Etienne from here.

There are several high profile spectators sitting just behind the away dugout…

Saint-Etienne v Manchester United - UEFA Europa League - Round of 32 - Second Leg - Stade Geoffroy-Guichard Nick Potts Nick Potts

HALF-TIME: St Etienne 0-1 Manchester United (0-4 on agg) 

43 mins – Romero out off his line to get a touch and take the ball away from Monnet-Paquet, before Baily sweeps up.

41 mins OVER THE BAR – Rashford drives down the wing and checks back to find Ibrahimovic. His effort is struck with real power but it’s too high.

39 mins CLOSE FROM ST ETIENNE – A free-kick finds the run of Perrin and the skipper nods the ball on. It’s close to Romero, however, and he isn’t troubled.

30 mins – Zlatan feeds Young and he fizzes a ball across St Etienne’s goalmouth. Rashford is arriving late but isn’t able to get a vital touch.

26 mins SUBSTITUTION – That’s the end of Mkhitaryan’s evening. He’s been replaced by Marcus Rashford.

The Armenian may have picked up a slight knock and there’s no point in him continuing with a big game on Sunday.

23 mins SAVE! United come close and it’s Mata at the centre of it again. Perrin heads the Spaniard’s cross off team-mate Pajot and it ricochets towards goal — forcing Ruffier into a save.

Here’s that goal…

 

Mki goal

 

17 mins GOAL! St Etienne 0-1 Manchester United (0-4 on agg) (Henrikh Mkhitaryan)

The away side have opened the scoring. Mata whips an inviting ball in from the left, and Mkhitaryan gets a deft touch to guide it home.

10 mins – Pogba does well down the left flank and cuts in towards goal before curling the ball with the outside of his boot towards Ibrahimovic. It’s too close to Ruffier, however, and the St Etienne keeper catches.

It’s been a fairly evenly-contested opening ten mintues.

2 mins – Man United’s back-up goalkeeper Sergio Romero is called into action almost immediately. The Argentine stopper collects Kevin Malcuit’s cross along the ground comfortably.

Stadium looks well, to be fair.

1 min KICK-OFF - Referee Deniz Aytekin of Germany blows his whistle and the visitors, wearing a change strip of white and grey, tip off.

Both teams are out on the pitch and we’re about to get started…

“The boy, Pogba, he’s a bit of a free spirit, a bit of a character. But I think it was a little bit over the top tonight – before the game and at half-time.”

They’ve spoke to each other more tonight than I’ve spoken to any of my brothers in the past five years — so all a bit strange.”

That was Roy Keane’s take on the brotherly love between Paul and Florentin Pogba on show in the first leg.

Expect to see more of it this evening.

Britain Soccer Europa League Press Association / Dave Thompson Press Association / Dave Thompson / Dave Thompson

Here are the line-ups:

St Etienne: Ruffier; Malcuit, Perrin, Theophile-Catherine, Pogba; Pajot, Veretout, Saivet, Hamouma; Beric, Monnet-Paquet.

 

Manchester United: Romero; Young, Smalling, Bailly, Blind; Carrick, Pogba, Fellaini; Mata, Mkhitaryan, Ibrahimovic.

With an EFL Cup final against Southampton to come on Sunday, Mourinho has made six changes to his team but still names a strong side.

There has been a rake of speculation about Wayne Rooney’s future and rumours linking him with a move to the Chinese Super League.

The club’s all-time record goalscorer has been left out of the squad along with full-back Luke Shaw, who has again been told by his manager that he must “work better” and “wait for his chance”.

Sounds ominous.

WHAT’S THIS,  you ask? Manchester United playing in Europe on a Wednesday night?

No, you’re not seeing things.

Due to the fact that St Etienne and neighbours Lyon can’t play at home games on the same night, Uefa have moved this second leg forward a day. And the reason behind the early 5pm kick-off? Europa League matches are not allowed clash with Champions League fixtures, so Sevilla v Leicester City and FC Porto v Juventus (both 7.45pm) get priority.

That’s that out of the way.

The Stade Geoffroy-Guichard is the host venue as the Red Devils look to book their place in the last-16 of the competition. A Zlatan Ibrahimovic hat-trick in last week’s first leg at Old Trafford means Jose Mourinho’s side will progress barring a huge upset.

Kick-off is 5pm and we’ll have teams for you in a moment.

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