Bayer Leverkusen vs. Manchester United: 6 Things We Learned
The second-best team, according to the Bundesliga table, versus a stuttering and stammering Manchester United team.
How would the Red Devils handle such a task after forgetting their lines at Cardiff City?
United's answer was to destroy their German hosts 5-0 with one of their greatest away performances in many years. It was a fantastic night's work from the Red Devils, who would have faced a nervous last-day tie to secure qualification from Group A without this victory.
There was so many positives on the night, but what did we learn from the tie about a Manchester United team missing their first-choice core players of Nemanja Vidic, Michael Carrick and Robin van Persie?
Here are six points to consider.
Shinji Kagawa Must Now Play in His Favoured Position
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The argument for using Shinji Kagawa anywhere on the pitch but behind the striker is fading fast.
On the night, the artist from Japan conducted the orchestra with professional brilliance as he roamed free around the central areas of the park.
Of course, the biggest hurdle for Kagawa is displacing Wayne Rooney from the No. 10 role, especially with a fit and firing Robin van Persie present. However, performances like Wednesday night's show what elements the player can bring to David Moyes' preferred system of 4-4-1-1.
As good as Rooney's form has been, I feel Kagawa is the future of Manchester United in this specific position. He is a natural "trequartista," whereas Rooney is not. All three goals from open play Wednesday night started from the feet of Kagawa.
David Moyes has a wonderful dilemma now, and Kagawa's improving form will force the manager to think hard before leaving the mercurial Asian superstar out of his team.
Antonio Valencia and Nani Are Finding Their Feet Again
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They are without doubt the two biggest headaches for most Manchester United fans. Two players who can be devastating to the opposition but show alarming inconsistencies on an all-too-regular basis.
Both Antonio Valencia and Nani have shown flashes of their former selves this season after what has been an anonymous 12 months for both players. However, David Moyes seems to be finding the spells to release each player's magic.
Valencia is starting to come on in leaps and bounds, and the match Wednesday night showed a player growing in confidence. Whereas last season he looked nervous and inhibited, this term he looks bullish and prepared to beat his man.
Nani can normally be read like a book: When his eyes are rolling as much as he is on the floor and the mistakes are flowing out of him, he might as well be on a beach on holiday. However, when he gets his match fitness correct and he plays it simple with confidence, you start to have a very different player.
Against Bayer Leverkusen, Nani showed his potential worth to Moyes. He worked hard in the wide position, supporting and protecting Patrice Evra, but he also offered the team added flair that Ashley Young does not. He was rewarded for his effort with a beautiful finish and goal in the dying minutes of the game.
If Moyes' two primary wingers start to fire, we all know how quickly United will start to dominate successive opponents.
Psychology: Have the Team Finally Gotten over the Loss of Sir Alex Ferguson?
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Manchester United have looked like the proverbial "rabbit in the headlights" since the loss of their great manager, and this was to be expected.
The question was always going to be, "How long will this last?"
The honeymoon period is over for David Moyes: Rather than a Caribbean cruise, it has been more like a week in Blackpool, but finally this tricky period might be about to come to an end.
Against Leverkusen, the team played with poise and discipline. They played with both flair and aggression and looked like the Manchester United who normally find their feet every season in the depths of winter.
It was surprising to see just how well United played given the quality of the opposition. This was not a trip to an unfancied team from Norway. Bayer Leverkusen did not play well on the night, but the way they were dispatched was more impressive than their own failings.
It felt like the Red Devils finally became David Moyes' team. The ghost of Sir Alex Ferguson will be impossible to escape, but the long road to recovery may well have begun with this fantastic performance.
Ryan Giggs Is Still a Force at 40
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The criticism that Ryan Giggs has gotten from his own fans recently has been predictable.
Only days from his 40th birthday and bossing a Manchester United midfield against top German opposition is not something many want to see.
Well, Giggs rolled back the years with an energetic performance and was arguably the best player on the pitch. His fantastic lofted assist for Nani's goal showed that even in the dying embers of the game he was still switched on and physically capable.
We all know that Giggs' days are coming to a close, but in this form, he will still be playing this time next year. He controlled the midfield with the brilliant Phil Jones and proved he still has a place in this United squad.
He might not be a long-term solution for David Moyes, but expect to see Giggsy starting more matches in the months to come.
Jonny Evans Is Now Manchester United's Best Central Defender
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The less educated will tell you that Jonny Evans is an average defender, a pretender to the throne of Nemanja Vidic. United fans who watch him every week will tell you something different.
As the aging body of Rio Ferdinand was apparent at times in this Champions League tie, Evans oozed positional class and athletic dominance. His last-gasp tackle in the first half stopped Leverkusen taking a surprise lead, and had the goal happened, it may well have been a totally different match.
Evans is growing in stature all of the time, and for me, he is the primary central defender now. As a player, he constantly talks and communicates with his teammates, and all good teams need a player who does this. He captains the team, without wearing the armband. This was displayed in full Wednesday night.
If he can carry on with his development, he will one day soon join United's illustrious list of great modern-day defenders.
Could Anderson Finally Become an Attacking Midfielder?
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He was not on the pitch for long, but it was an interesting cameo for Anderson.
He did not come on and get thrown into that deeper central berth that Sir Alex made him play year after year, but he popped up behind the forward position vacated by the sensational Shinji Kagawa.
Anderson was purchased as a midfielder who attacked, and for years, United have been inexplicably coaching this out of his game. What we have been left with is a very ordinary central midfielder, with his natural flair beaten out of him. He is a shell of a player who promised so much as a teenager.
As the game was won, Anderson's involvement in the forward positions might have been Moyes just trying to give the player a few minutes. However, maybe the manager has stumbled across something.
Anderson looked comfortable in the role. His ability to run with the ball has always been there, but it is difficult when you are sat deep and trying to defend in a disciplined manner.
Against Leverkusen, Anderson ran with the ball like Forrest Gump, and it was a beautiful thing. His burst of energy deserved a goal.
If United can rescue anything from the former Brazilian international, it will be both miraculous and a wonderful surprise.
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