Manchester United 2 Benfica 0: Halloween fright for Mile Svilar despite Anthony Martial penalty save

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Tom Doyle31 October 2017

Manchester United edged closer to the Champions League last-16 with a 2-0 victory over Benfica at Old Trafford.

Mile Svilar - the 18-year-old goalkeeper who gifted United a 1-0 in Portugal on gameweek three - initially redeemed himself early on Tuesday night by saving an Anthony Martial penalty.

However, the young keeper could only watch on in horror in first-half injury time as a speculative Nemanja Matic shot hit the post before cannoning off his head into the net for an own goal.

United did not have it all their own way as David De Gea was forced into a number of fine saves, with Eric Bailly fortunate to see Raul Jimenez hit the post after gifting the forward possession with a careless pass.

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The Red Devils finally found the second goal 12 minutes from time as Marcus Rashford was fouled for the second penalty of the night, with Daley Blind slamming the ball past Svilar to seal the win.

It leaves United six points clear at the top of Group A with two matches remaining on a night that started with Jose Mourinho taking aim at some of his club's supporters in the programme.

"I hope that you enjoy the game more than some of you did against Tottenham," he wrote after being irritated by some fans at the weekend, having felt Romelu Lukaku did not get the right support and seen his decision to bring on Martial met by some groans.

The Frenchman started this game and saw an early penalty saved by Svilar, but the teenager's hope of a better night than two weeks ago went down the drain when Matic's effort went in off him.

Lukaku had looked set to take the late spot-kick Rashford win only for a confusing late change in taker, with Mourinho celebrating the second by making a chatting gesture in front of the cameras.