Manchester (England): An early own goal by Real Sociedad defender Inigo Martinez gave Manchester United a 1-0 victory in their Champions League encounter at Old Trafford on Wednesday and sent the English club top of Group A.
Wayne Rooney did all the hard work to create the second-minute opener and watched as his shot crashed off the far post and into the path of Martinez who inexplicably directed the ball into his own net.
United failed to capitalise on their Rooney-inspired dominance, giving Sociedad confidence they could still get something from the game but despite twice hitting the woodwork the La Liga side left empty handed.
Victory gives United seven points from three matches, while Sociedad have yet to pick up a point and look highly unlikely to progress from the group.
United had aimed to create a noisy atmosphere at Old Trafford by trying out a new `singing section` of the stadium but they did not need it as their flying start raised the decibels from the off.
Rooney`s skill in weaving his way past several defenders fully deserved a goal and while his blistering shot crashed against the far post, an apparently panic-stricken Martinez was on hand to turn the rebound into his own net.
Watched by former manager Alex Ferguson, who has grabbed all the headlines in the build-up to this match following the release of his autobiography, David Moyes` men did as much as they could to try to turn the spotlight back on them.
Rooney went for the spectacular with an overhead kick that would have been like the goal of the season he scored against Manchester City in 2011 but it flew well off target, while Javier Hernandez had a header disallowed for offside.
The visitors finally tested United keeper David De Gea half an hour into the game when Ryan Giggs was dispossessed by Haris Seferovic near the halfway line and the Sociedad striker charged forward and his shot from 25 metres out was tipped over the bar.
Sensing an opportunity, with United having failed to stretch their lead despite their early dominance, Sociedad went close again just before halftime when Antoine Griezmann smashed a free kick over the wall and against the post.
United, whose teamsheet had featured the surprise omission of striker Robin van Persie who Moyes later said was struggling with some knocks, started the second half with Phil Jones forcing a save from Claudio Bravo to keep his header out.
The hosts then hit the far post with a low Antonio Valencia effort shortly after Sociedad had left De Gea raising his eyebrows in surprise that a cross from Alberto de la Bella had rattled his bar.
United, only too aware that a one-goal lead is too slender having conceded in the 89th minute at home to Southampton in the Premier League at the weekend to draw 1-1, endured a nail-biting end to the match as yet more decent chances went begging.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.