"Such players of that level, will always come back." Louis van Gaal on his continued support for @WayneRooney. #UCL http://t.co/SidyjSdi2P
— BT Sport Football (@btsportfootball) August 26, 2015
Van Gaal retained United’s 4-2-3-1 formation with Michael Carrick and Ander Herrera as the central midfielders, collecting the ball from defenders to start attacks. Herrera then broke forward as a ball player to help the attacking midfielders while Carrick remained as the main holding midfielder.
Juan Mata and Memphis kept their places as wide attacking midfielders with Memphis looking to run at defenders by cutting inside to his favoured right foot while Mata drifted infield looking to link up play between the lines.
Adnan Januzaj was the number 10, dovetailing with Wayne Rooney through the middle. Rooney completed the offensive formation as the centre forward making runs in behind as well as providing a target for long balls.
When United were out of possession, Januzaj joined Rooney in leading the defending while Mata and Memphis pressed from the sides of midfield. In central midfield, Carrick and Herrera double-pivoted in front of the defenders while Luke Shaw and Darmian dropped to the defensive line to form a solid back-four.
Key tactical changes
This was an extremely disappointing performance from Brugge. Their pressing was ineffective because they did not execute it as a unit, they lacked confidence in front of goal and Preud’homme’s decision to reshuffle his defence backfired.
From a tactical perspective, Manchester United started the game well; they exploited Brugge’s ineffective pressing to record an 86 per cent pass completion rate in the opening 25 minutes. That success in ball retention allowed Van Gaal’s men to enjoy more possession, plus Mata’s infield runs created overloads against Brugge’s three midfielders.
After Rooney’s first goal, United struggled to retain the ball and were subjected to pressure in the last period of the first-half. Van Gaal responded by taking off Januzaj and pushing the booked Herrera to the number 10 position, where there was less defensive responsibility.
United still employed a 4-2-3-1 formation but their half-time change meant that Van Gaal’s charges had five top-class ball players on the pitch: Bastian Schweinsteiger, Carrick, Mata, Herrera and Rooney.
United consequently regained total control of possession and they killed the game with three goals in the opening 20 minutes of the second-half.
In the last 30 minutes, Preud’homme tried to push for a consolation by introducing Tuur Dierckx, Dion Cools and Hans Vanaken in the three attacking midfield positions behind De Sutter but that hardly changed anything as United continued to enjoy more possession territory plus better chances.
