Manchester United picked up their first three Europa League points tonight after beating Sheriff 2-0.
The Red Devils scored both goals in the first 45 minutes after a brilliant finish by Jadon Sancho and a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty won by Diogo Dalot.
United were relatively comfortable on the night and never seemed to concede a goal for the duration of 90 minutes.
One of United’s unsung heroes of the night was Christian Eriksen. The Dane came back with another brilliant performance, something fans have grown accustomed to since his arrival.
Eriksen started as a pivot in midfield with Scott McTominay, combining well with the Scotland international in midfield to ensure the team had cruise control throughout the game.
The 30-year-old’s numbers underscore how impressive he was against Sheriff.
In the 90 minutes he was on the pitch, Eriksen had 68 touches on the ball.
The Danish international made 58 passes, for an impressive 81% success rate.
Two of these 58 were crucial passes.
Of the eight long balls Eriksen pinged, five were successful.
The midfield dynamo also recorded an assist for United’s opener.
Demonstrating his defensive prowess, Eriksen won a duel on the ground and also made a single clearance. He won one ticket.
Eriksen is going from strength to strength, and the class oozing from the pitch shows why Ten Hag went to great lengths to lock him down to a long-term deal at Old Trafford.
What is certain is that it was definitely worth the wait.
