Van Gaal plays cool as United come roaring back

Louis van Gaal deems it a work in progress and he is right. Manchester United still look well short of the team that considered they had few equals at home or abroad in their pomp under Alex Ferguson but having gone top of the Premier League they have also now secured opening win in the Champions League.

If you are going to rebuild, it’s better to do it from a position of strength and Van Gaal’s mission gained further credence as United came from behind to secure their first points and share of the lead in Group B thanks to a Juan Mata penalty and Chris Smalling’s first goal of the season just after half time. It wasn’t pretty but, as in the Premier League, United, to the relief of van Gaal, found a way to win.

“It was very difficult because they scored early,” admitted the United manager. “After that we did very well and we created a lot of chances but didn’t finished it.

“We have to keep our feet on the ground. We have to improve a lot to be on top in Europe. I am happy and the players are happy but we have to play better than we did in the second half. We won this game but we could have done it in a better way.”

After the failure 24 hours earlier of Chelsea and Arsenal to increase the standing of the Premier League in Europe’s elite competition - the Londoners’ defeats making it five losses from the first six games for English clubs in the group stage of the competition - it was down to the Manchester clubs - United and City - to try and restore some pride.

And as the new league leaders, United assumed the mantle of flag bearers as they played their first home Champions League game since April 2014 when a draw with Bayern Munich had pre-empted their exit at the quarter-final stage.

Bastian Schweinsteiger had been a key component of that victory and the Bayern side that won the competition a year earlier. But now in the red of United, the German World Cup winner returned to starting duty to face familiar opposition as the only change Van Gaal made to the side that beat Sunderland last weekend to take United to the top of the Premier League.

The experience of Schweinsteiger is intended to nurse United through nights like this but neither he or anyone else in the home ranks had the chance to make an impact in the game before United found themselves behind with just five minutes gone.

Having finished as runners-up in the Bundesliga last season, things have not started as smoothly for Wolfsburg this time around following the sale of star midfielder Kevin de Bruyne to Manchester City and with an opening Champions League win followed last week by a chastening 5-1 domestic defeat to German champions Bayern.

The emissions scandal involving major backer Volkswagen is another distraction that could have ramifications further down the line but there was nothing wrong with the way they slipped into top gear here as Daniel Caligiuri played a one-two with Max Kruse before slipping the ball past David De Gea.

For a side that had never won in England and which was hoping to become the first German side to win at Old Trafford since Bayern in 2001, Wolfsburg couldn’t have hoped for a better start.

But Van Gaal’s team now has the firepower to worry teams, with Anthony Martial and Mata starting the season in enviable form. Former Monaco forward Martial has never scored in the Champions League but the teenager looks like he belongs on this stage with his ability to go past players with the minimum of effort, while Mata continues to torment with his vision and precision around the penalty area.

It was the Spaniard who launched United’s fightback as he cut in to unleash a left-footed shot which was only kept out by defender Dante before Martial also shimmied into the box before driving an effort just over the angle of post and bar.

Martial then produced more quick feet to set up Wayne Rooney for a shooting chance the captain should have converted before Memphis Depay headed at keeper Diego Benaglio from Mata’s flighted assist.

The pressure seemingly had to tell and 11 minutes before the break Wolfsburg cracked when Caligiuri handled a Mata cross. Mata took the responsibility to roll home his fourth goal of the season from the spot before teeing up Depay for another chance he couldn’t take as Benaglio saved low down.

There’s barely a United goal scored at the moment without Mata having a hand in it and eight minutes after half-time he was at it again as Van Gaal’s side went ahead. This time he cleverly lifted the ball over Wolfbsurg’s backline as they tried to deal with the aftermath of a corner and Smalling was the beneficiary as he slid in to convert the winner.

United had to withstand a late Wolfsburg onslaught as Andre Schurrle shot across goal and Ricardo Rodriguez curled a free wide.

Manchester United (4-2-3-1):

De Gea 7; Valencia 6 (Young ht, 7), Smalling 7, Blind 7, Darmian 7; Schweinsteiger 6 (Jones 72), Schneiderlin 6; Mata 8, Rooney 6, Depay 6 (Pereira 63, 7); Martial 7.

Wolfsburg:

Benaglio 6, Trasch 7 (Jung 77), Naldo 6, Dante , Rodriguez 7; Guilavogui 7, Arnold 6 (Schurrle 70); Caligiuri 7, Kruse 7, Draxler 7; Dost 6 (Bendtner 70, 6).