Depay finds No.7 shirt fits well
Print Edition
OLD Trafford rejoiced on Tuesday in anticipation of their next famous No. 7 after Dutch forward Memphis Depay scored two sublime goals to inspire Manchester United to a 3-1 victory over Club Bruges.
The 21-year-old struck twice in the first half, reviving memories of Wayne Rooney’s United debut 11 years ago when he netted a hat-trick in a Champions League game against Fenerbahce.
Memphis also provided a superb cross to set up the stoppage-time goal by Marouane Fellaini that sealed United’s win in the first leg of their Champions League playoff.
“When you score a goal then you are the hero,” United manager Louis van Gaal told reporters.
“I want to kiss him tonight, because when you score two goals and give an assist also, then normally in the world you are the hero.”
Memphis, who was deployed in his favoured starting position on the left rather than as a traditional No. 10, showed the kind of form that led United to pay PSV Eindhoven a reported 25 million pounds (US$39 million) for him in May.
Memphis struggled in his first two Premier League games but his contribution against Bruges hinted that he can handle the pressure of the iconic No. 7 jersey, previously worn by United greats like George Best, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.
“I’m happy that I scored and of course I’m happy that we won,” said Memphis, who missed two good opportunities to complete his hat-trick.
“But I must admit I’m a bit disappointed because I could have scored the last two chances .
United went behind to an 8th-minute Michael Carrick own goal.
Depay’s goals, in the 13th and 43rd minutes, came after picking up the ball outside the penalty area. His whipped cross for Fellaini’s header in the fourth minute of injury time — when Bruges was down to 10 men after Brandon Mechele’s 80th-minute red card —was just as impressive and might be even more important.
Late goals were a theme of the Champions League playoffs on Tuesday.
Lazio beat Bayer Leverkusen 1-0 through Keita’s 77th-minute goal, Islam Slimani struck an 82nd-minute winner for Sporting Lisbon in a 2-1 victory over CSKA Moscow, and BATE Borisov of Belarus beat Partizan Belgrade 1-0 courtesy of Mikhail Gordeichuk’s 75th-minute strike.
In the other match, FC Astana has a good chance of becoming the first Kazakh team to reach the group stage after beating APOEL Nicosia of Cyprus 1-0.
While those four matches hang in the balance heading into the second legs on August 26, Bruges may struggle to recover from the goal scored by Fellaini — a Belgium international.
“If you keep 2-1, you have hope, you never know,” said Bruges coach Michel Preud’homme, who is a good friend of Fellaini’s. “But this last goal was very bad for the confidence.”
Astana did not exist when Man United won the last of its European Cups, in 2008.
But the government-backed team, which is playing in the Champions League for the first time this season, could provide a great story line after taking the initiative in the matchup against APOEL thanks to a 14th-minute header by Baurzhan Dzholchiyev.
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