Owen on target again for Red Devils

HT: Malaysia XI 0 Man Utd 2

Michael Owen was on target for the second game running as Manchester United finally stamped their class on their Malaysian hosts.

Given the opportunity to atone for a less-than-convincing 3-2 win against the same opposition at the Bukit Jalil Stadium on Saturday, a completely revamped United side this time exerted total control.

Young gun Federico Macheda, now installed as United’s fourth-choice striker following the summer exits of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, was first to make his mark after 11 minutes.

The Italian calmly stroked the ball into the corner after Ryan Giggs had supplied a low cross.

And on the Red Devils’ next attack, Owen carried on where he left off at the weekend when he scored the late winner, profiting from some shambolic defending from the hosts, who failed to clear a Zoran Tosic cross, allowing the England marksman to take aim and fire home number two.

With Jonny Evans among those trying to impress and Ben Foster in goal after his blunder on Saturday, the United line-up was certainly fresh enough.

Owen might have had another midway through the half, with Tosic again the supplier, this time with a wickedly curling cross that invited the near-post flick.

It looked like being number three, only for Owen to be denied by the inside of a post.

With Giggs dictating the tempo in midfield and Tosic supplying plenty of width on the left, even if his final ball was sometimes slightly wayward, United were always a threat.

In contrast, Malaysia rarely got near enough to the United goal to get their hopes raised.

Indra Putra Mahayuddin embarked on one mazy run just before the break but he was halted in his tracks by Wes Brown, eager to put a campaign wrecked by foot problems behind him.