Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored his first Manchester United goal and the Premier League side eased into the last 32 of the Europa League. Needing just a draw against Zorya Luhansk, Manchester United picked up a 2-0 victory on Thursday.
However, that win was still not enough to give them top spot in Group A. While the three points and a way out of the draw malaise that has struck them in the Premier League was welcome, they will go into the round of 32 draw on Monday as one of the unseeded teams owing to the fact that Fenerbahce pipped them to top spot.
The Turkish side beat Feyenoord 1-0 in Holland to come through as the group winners, with Moussa Sow scoring the all-important goal in the 22nd minute.
It took a little longer for Manchester United to find their groove in front of goal against Zorya, with the players probably taking a little while to acclimatise to the freezing conditions that were on offer.
However, the wait for the opener was more than worth it, with Mkhitaryan breaking his United duck with a wonderfully taken goal. After taking possession of the ball around the halfway line, Mkhitaryan showed he has pace to burn, gliding past a couple Zorya defenders like they weren't even there, before slotting the ball home with aplomb.
With the lead taken just three minutes into the second half, Manchester United had complete control of the game and their destiny in the Europa League, and they rarely allowed Zorya a chance to find a way back into the contest.
The match was put to bed by Ibrahimovic, running clear on goal before doing what he more-often-than-not does – find the back of the net.
As a result of the win, Manchester United finished their group stage engagements with 12 points from six matches, one less than group winners Fenerbahce.
Watch the highlights of the Europa League match HERE and HERE
