Manchester United vs. Zorya Luhansk: Score, Reaction to 2016 Europa League Match

Zlatan Ibrahimovic spared Manchester United's blushes in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, as his strike saw the Red Devils overcome a dogged Zorya Luhansk 1-0 at Old Trafford.

The first half was forgettable, with Marcus Rashford going closest to breaking the deadlock with a volley that smacked against the woodwork. It took until the 69th minute for the hosts to open the scoring, with Ibrahimovic turning in a scuffed shot from Wayne Rooney, who was introduced as a second-half substitute.

With a strong team on the field, United dominated possession in the early stages, although they were unable to conjure many clear openings, while the Ukrainians carried a potent threat on the break.

The Premier League side were being contained, but in the 21st minute, the hosts came within a whisker of taking the lead. The ball dropped for Rashford in the penalty area, but his strike crashed off the crossbar.

As sports journalist Daniel Harris noted, it’s rare to see the 18-year-old miss on such an effort:

Jesse Lingard was the only other United player to come close in the first period, as he saw his header bundled off the line by the excellent Rafael Forster.

Those chances aside, Zorya were comfortable in their defensive duties and willing to commit men forward when they turned play over. Oleksii Shevchenko, the visitors’ goalkeeper, was a spectator for the first period.

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United supporters at Old Trafford likely had memories of former manager Louis van Gaal’s tenure triggered after 45 minutes of possession with no accompanying penetration.

Paul Hirst of the Times outlined one of the game’s most exciting moments, with zero shots on target registered:

The second period started in much the same vein, with the visitors keeping United at bay and drawing more and more angst from the supporters.

As the hour mark passed, the home side were sluggish in possession. Ibrahimovic was dropping deep to collect the ball, and there was no tempo to their forward forays. The first shot on target came from the visitors, with Paulinho's curling effort being palmed away by goalkeeper Sergio Romero.

With Zorya growing in confidence, it wasn't surprising to see Rooney summoned by manager Jose Mourinho in place of Lingard. The captain made an immediate, although scruffy, impact.

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Timothy Fosu-Mensah pulled the ball back to the edge of the box, and Rooney skewed his shot up in the air. However, Ibrahimovic was lurking at the back post and nodded home from a couple of yards out.

Bleacher Report's Karl Matchett wasn't impressed with the goalkeeping:

Old Trafford let out a collective sigh of relief when the Swede headed home, and suddenly the side looked free of pressure. By contrast, the visitors lacked the same aggression in their defending and willingness to win possession back after falling behind.

In the final stages, the home side looked more likely to score, with Ibrahimovic and Marouane Fellaini both going close. At the other end, there was minimal threat, allowing the Red Devils to see the rest of the match out comfortably.

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After a spell of three successive defeats, United have slowly built up momentum again with a sequence of three victories in three different competitions. Regardless of the calibre of opponent on Thursday, there’s a positive vibe at Old Trafford again.

They had to work hard on Thursday, and although there was a degree of fortune for their only goal, United were patient and probing in their approach.

After losing their opening Europa League game to Feyenoord, three points were vital, although this was another indicator that Mourinho has a lot of work to do with the Red Devils.

Post-Match Reaction

After the match, Mourinho insisted he was not getting caught up in the team's recent good form.

"One week, three defeats. One week, three victories. But I was not depressed by the defeats, and I am not over the moon with three wins," he said, per BBC Sport's Jonathan Jurejko. "It was difficult. We had our chances in the first half. We could have scored, and it would have been a different match."

Ibrahimovic also suggested the team is capable of better.

"We won, and that is what counts after losing against Feyenoord," he said, per Jurejko. "We could have done much more though, and I expect much more from the team. We did not score as we did against Leicester, but it is good for confidence. If we continue this and step it up, we will do good."