Eighteen-year-old Marcus Rashford scores a brace on debut to help Manchester United advance with a 5-1 win over Danish Club Midtjylland
Red hot! Manchester United's Marcus Rashford celebrates after scoring a goal during their UEFA Europa League Round of 32, second-leg match against FC Midtjylland at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, on Thursday night
Manchester: Marcus Rashford, a teenage product of Manchester United's academy, enjoyed a dream debut by scoring twice in a 5-1 victory over Denmark's FC Midtjylland at Old Trafford on Thursday that took the Premier League side into the last-16 of the Europa League.
Red hot! Manchester United's Marcus Rashford celebrates after scoring a goal during their UEFA Europa League Round of 32, second-leg match against FC Midtjylland at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, on Thursday night. Pic/AFP
ADVERTISEMENT
The 18-year-old was only thrust into the starting side when Anthony Martial was injured during the warm-up.
But he showed no nerves when he struck in the 64th minute, with a clinical, low strike from eight yards after Juan Mata had pulled an Ander Herrera far-post cross back across the area from the left-hand by-line, to put United 2-1 in front on the evening.
That matched the same scoreline by which Louis van Gaal's side had lost the first leg in Denmark last week and, after 75 minutes, Rashford's second goal of the evening gave United a 4-3 aggregate advantage.
Victory meant United had won two out of their three fixtures in different competitions with EPL title-chasers Arsenal coming to Old Trafford on Sunday.