Michael Carrick gets managerial career off to winning start as Man United progress in Europe
Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo (right) celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game
Manchester United boasted a new manager in Michael Carrick but it was an old reliable who carried them into the knock-out stages of the Champions League in his first game as caretaker.
Cristiano Ronaldo struck with a brilliant chipped finish on 78 minutes, after Fred had robbed Etienne Capoue just outside the area, following a poor kick from keeper Geronimo Rulli.
It was the United legend’s sixth goal in five Champions League games this season and meant that of the 10 points United have collected in group play this season, Ronaldo’s goals have personally accounted for seven of them.
But the win was certainly a triumph for Carrick who set up a solid defensive formation, supplemented by key attacking substitutions after the hour that altered the game.
Two of those subs, Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes, combined in the last minute to score a second goal on the break, setting up a resurgent Jadon Sancho to score his first goal for United, via the underside of the crossbar.
Carrick sprung a surprise even before kick-off with the news that Fernandes was one of four changes from Solskjaer’s last game in charge and replaced by little-used Donny van de Beek.
And after a shaky opening 20 minutes in which his players clearly struggled to follow his new instructions, it became obvious the caretaker would have been happy to comer away with a point.
He still needed David de Gea to make a pair of decent early saves, however.
The Spaniard dived full length to keep out a good strike by Moi Gomez then denied Manu Trigueros after Yeremi Pino had found it far too easy to set up a chance.
There was also a good chance for Pino, after a mis-judgement from Alex Telles, but the winger could only strike into the side-netting.
But, apart from a couple of decent moments from Sancho, there was little to trouble the home goalkeeper Rulli.
Ronaldo planted a header into his arms, from a Telles cross, and the Portuguese star hit a free-kick directly into the Villarreal wall before Rulli finally had a meaningful save to make after 53 minutes, although Fred’s shot from a Sancho cross was far too close to the keeper.
But five minutes later it was De Gea who again came to United’s help, making the save of the night with his fingertips after Trigueros hit a treacherous and unpredictable shot into the turf.
Carrick made the first substitutions of his managerial career - Rashford and Fernandes thrown on to add fresh legs in attack.
And it almost had an immediate effect as the latter played a one-two with Sancho who cut in and forced a solid save from Rulli although the England winger might have been better advised to take an earlier shot.
After his goal, Ronaldo almost made it 2-0 as he pounced on a poor header from Juan Foyth and flashed a shot across goal.
As Villarreal pressed for an equaliser, Rashford also came close on the break, with his shot being kept out by the keeper’s legs.
Rulli 6; Foyth 6, Albiol 7, Torres 6, Estupinan 6 (Raba 79, 6); Pino 7 (Chukwueze 72, 6), Capoue 6, Parejo 7, Gomez 7 (Dia 84); Trigueros 7 (Moreno 73, 6), Danjuma 6.
Asenjo, Gaspar, Alcacer, Iborra, Pena, Mandi, Pedraza, Alvarez.
De Gea 8; Wan-Bissaka 7, Lindelof 7, Maguire 6, Telles 6; Fred 7, McTominay 6; Sancho 9 (Mata 90), van de Beek 6 (Fernandes 66, 8), Martial 5 (Rashford 66, 7); Ronaldo 8 (Matic 90).
Bailly, Lingard, Diallo, Dalot, Heaton, Henderson.
Dr F Brych (Germany) 8.
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