Man United recover from their loss to Real Sociedad thanks to goals from Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo; United now sits only one point behind Sociedad in Group E of the Europa League; After the international break, on October 6, United will meet Neil Lennon's Omonia team from Cyprus in the tournament.
After being left off the England team, Jadon Sancho responded well by scoring in Manchester United's opening 2-0 victory against Sheriff Tiraspol in the Europa League.
United needed to win in Moldova after suffering a disappointing 1-0 loss to Real Sociedad at Old Trafford last Thursday. They achieved it thanks to goals from Sancho (17) and Cristiano Ronaldo (39), both of which came in the first half.
Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo scores his side's second goal from penalty spot vs Sheriff Tiraspol
With Christian Eriksen's reverse ball, Jadon Sancho finished off a wonderful move with a scuffed shot on his left, and then Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 699th club goal and first of the season from the penalty spot to make it a pleasant evening for Erik ten Hag's side.
Ronaldo "Ronaldo needed that goal," Ten Hag said to MUTV. "He had several opportunities to do it, yet he always came up short. He deserves this, and the team worked hard to get it for him. Cristiano Ronaldo will undoubtedly convert from the spot."
With their third consecutive away victory, Premier League side Manchester United now sits in second place in the group behind Sociedad, while Sheriff fall to third place but are tied with United on three points.
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates with Antony and Diogo Dalot after scoring for Manchester United vs Sheriff Tiraspol
How Sancho and Ronaldo fired Man Utd back on track
United were outplayed early on Thursday night in Moldova, but Sancho finished off a nice team move for his third goal of the season, which he dedicated to a little fan who had given him some personalized shin pads.
In the 37th minute, after being found by Antony, Sancho almost doubled his score and United's advantage with a side-footed attempt that past Sheriff goalkeeper Maksym Koval but was blocked on the line by captain Stjepan Radeljic.
Seconds later, when Patrick Kpozo of the Sheriff made a hasty tackle on Diogo Dalot, Ronaldo increased United's advantage from the penalty spot, sending Koval the wrong way with a shot down the center.
Bruno Fernandes, who seemed irritated the whole night, sought to get in on the action in the second half, but his first-time effort after a low cross from Dalot was sent straight at Koval in the Sheriff goal.
The 37-year-old international felt Eriksen had set him up for goal number 700 in his club career, but Radeljic produced a crucial touch to pull the ball away from Ronaldo.
Sheriff had some promising buildup play, but they were unable to create any clear-cut opportunities or challenge David de Gea in either game. After two games, it seems like Sociedad and United will be vying for first place, with the last meeting in Spain likely deciding the group.
England Watch: Sancho sends Southgate selection message
On Thursday, several questioned England coach Gareth Southgate's judgment in not include Jadon Sancho in his final World Cup roster.
Not helping his cause was the fact that Jack Grealish and Jarrod Bowen both made the roster cut. Sancho has scored more goals this season (3) than the two players that were chosen.
Sancho celebrates his goal against Sheriff
Sancho, who has been reinvigorated this season under Erik ten Hag, responded to the news by performing well against Sheriff a few hours later, increasing the pressure on Southgate.
For over a year, the former Borussia Dortmund attacker has been kept out of the England picture. Sancho was only able to make one start at the whole European Championships despite being a part of the team.
It's clear he has some work to do before the World Cup to win over Southgate's confidence in his abilities. Since he can't go to England with the team, Sancho has an uphill battle.
At this point, Sancho would have to do something really extraordinary to make the trip to Qatar, and even then, Southgate may stick with his preferred players.
Southgate selected two United players, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw, but they both had to settle for bench roles. Maguire was substituted in at the game's last minute.
Ten Hag: Sancho can give us much more
Erik ten Hag, manager of Manchester United, told MUTV:
"Tough beginning as our opponent went for the straight route, resulting in too many early second-ball giveaways. My guess is that we started playing better in between the lines and scoring fantastic goals when we settled on a more effective system, particularly over the left side. From that point on, we had complete control of the game.
"Not only were we solid defensively, but our possession skills helped us to another clean sheet. Raphael Varane's presence as leader puts everyone where they need to be, and he and Lisandro Martinez are a great match. The two fullbacks were also outstanding in their roles." With Sancho, I couldn't be happier. It's his third of the season, and he scored a lot of goals in preseason. Additionally, he contributed to Bruno Fernandes's goal for Southampton.
"He's performing OK, but he's got much more to offer on the field, so I believe he can do even better. Consequently, I believe he can be more effective when he has greater confidence.
"This goal was crucial for Ronaldo. He almost had it several times, but he really wanted it. He deserves this, and the team worked hard to get it for him. Cristiano Ronaldo will undoubtedly convert from the spot."
