Manchester United made an emotional return to Belgrade yesterday and, after a ceremony to remember the ‘Busby Babes’, eked out a first away win since March, 1-0, over Partizan. Anthony Martial scored the only goal of the Europa League Group L game with a penalty kick after 43 minutes, but the hosts had eight strikes on target to just three by United.
The game marked the return to the ground where Matt Busby’s famous team of talented youngsters played their last game, a European Cup quarter-final against Red Star in February 1958. The plane crashed in Munich on the way home and seven United players were among the 23 who died.
United had only played in Belgrade once since then, when they lost a European Cup semi-final to Partizan in 1966. On Thursday afternoon, United held a commemoration ceremony where former players Bryan Robson and Mickey Thomas laid a wreath on the centre circle at the Partizan Stadium and vice-chairman Ed Woodward gave a speech.
For the match, United made eight changes from the team that drew at home with Liverpool on Sunday.
Teenagers Brandon Williams and James Garner came into the team. Williams, playing wing back, made a decisive contribution in the 43rd minute when he burst into the Partizan box and drew wild tackles from two home defenders.
Martial rolled the penalty into the corner of the goal. United spent much of the match defending. Partizan’s Nigerian centre forward Umar Sadiq was dangerous throughout, hitting the post just before Martial’s goal and fizzing another shot just wide. Guinean Seydoubah Soumah and Japanese Takumah Asano both forced tricky saves from Sergio Romero. United can ensure a spot in the knockout rounds if the beat Partizan at Old Trafford on matchday four.
In a game in Bratislava, played in an unusual atmosphere after Slovan side-stepped a stadium ban for racism by giving 21,000 tickets to children, Wolves fought back from a goal down to win 2-1. Andraz Sporar gave the home team an 11th minute lead in the Group K tie.
Romain Saiss levelled in the 58th minute with a low, long-range shot that bobbled through goalie Dominik Greif’s legs Six minutes later, Vernon DeMarco gave Raul Jimenez a shove in front of goal and the Wolves striker scored the winner from the resulting penalty.