Europa League Round-Up: Manchester United squeeze past Zorya, Saints draw a blank in Israel

Manchester United stumbled to their first victory in this year’s Europa League campaign with a 1-0 home win against Ukranian side Zorya Luhansk, while Southampton were held to a goalless draw in Israel against Hapoel Be’er Sheva on matchday two.

The first chance at Old Trafford, perhaps surprisingly, was created by the visitors just six minutes in, but Zeljko Ljubenovic was unable to keep his left-footed shot below Sergio Romero’s crossbar from the edge of the box.

It didn’t take long for Jose Mourinho’s men to respond, but Marouane Fellaini spurned a headed chance from Juan Mata’s corner from the left shortly after.

Wayne Rooney celebrates with match winner, Ibrahimovic – Photo: Simon Stacpoole / Offside.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic then had a deflected shot from 25 yards fly just over the bar in the 18th minute. From the resulting corner kick, in-form striker Marcus Rashford rattled the crossbar with a right-footed effort after the ball fell to him just outside the six-yard box.

United’s superior possession nearly resulted in a goal eight minutes shy of the interval for Mata, but his header from Paul Pogba’s cross did not test goalkeeper Oleksiy Shevchenko.

Fellaini then wasted another header from a corner in the 40th minute, driving his effort into the ground before watching it fly harmlessly over the bar.

The second period began slowly and without much incident, until substitute midfielder Paulinho forced Romero into a fine save twenty minutes after the break, sending a curling right footed shot towards the far right corner from 20 yards.

That chance for the Ukrainians seemed to spark the Red Devils into life, with Wayne Rooney coming on and somewhat fortunately diverting a cross from the right into the path of Ibrahimovic in the 68th minute, who sent his header high into the net from just two yards.

Fellaini then met Rooney’s corner in the 85th minute sweetly on the volley, but failed to keep his effort down, with the ball sailing over the bar.

The three points moves Mourinho’s men into second place in Group A, with a home game against Fenerbahce next on their Europa League agenda. The Turkish side also recorded a 1-0 home victory against Feyenoord courtesy of Emmanuel Emenike’s 18th minute strike.

Southampton’s first chance in Israel came four minutes in from a set-piece taken by James Ward-Prowse, whose fantastic delivery was miscued by Virgil Van Dijk, who had been left unmarked at the back post.

Barak Bakhar’s men had their first opportunity comfortably saved by Fraser Foster, after Maharan Radi’s shot deflected off defender Maya Yoshida shortly after.

Winger Anthony Nwakaeme then stung the palms of the England goalkeeper with a powerful strike in the 16th minute, having spun away from Van Dijk 20 yards out.

The half came to a bizarre end after Matt Targett went down injured and Hapoel midfielder John Ogu went to kick the ball out of play, but Southampton stole the ball back and Nathan Redmond fired wide of the target from just outside the area.

Five minutes into the second-half, Ward-Prowse called Hapoel goalkeeper David Goresh into action for the first time. The England Under-21 international’s low drive from the edge of the area needed to be pushed away to keep the game at level pegging.

Saints forward, Nathan Redmond – Photo: Marc Atkins / Offside.

The most clear cut opportunity of the match came for the home side in the 66th minute, as captain Maor Melikson drilled the ball with his right foot low across goal after a good through ball from Nwakaeme, but no Hapoel player was able to get on the end of it.

Nwakaeme then failed to take advantage of Yoshida’s misplaced pass, as he lashed his right-footed shot well wide of Forster’s left upright with 20 minutes to go.

The Israelis continued to apply pressure on Southampton’s back four, with a left footed shot on the half-volley from substitute Ovidiu Hoban pushed round the post by Forster in the 82nd minute.

That proved to be the final chance of a fairly tepid affair, with both teams moving on to four points after two fixtures.

Elsewhere, Southampton’s next opponents Inter Milan lost their second straight match in the Europa League, slumping to a 3-1 defeat away at Sparta Prague. Vaclav Kadlec scored a first-half brace in the win, with Inter ending the game with 10-men after defender Andrea Ranocchia was shown a straight red card.

Russian side Krasnodar thrashed Nice 5-2 at home, with braces coming from Joaozinho and Ari. Mario Balotelli was on the scoresheet for the French side.

Fiorentina were also big winners on matchday two, as a Mauro Zarate brace helped them to a 5-1 win at home against Azerbaijani side Qarabag.

Schalke ran out comfortable winners at the Veltins Arena with a 3-1 win against Austrian side Salzburg, with two of the goals coming from an unlikely source in German defender Benedikt Howedes.