Chapter 60 lays the foundation for qualifying

The match against Crystal Palace was followed by a midweek UEFA Champions League group stage fourth round tie at home to CSKA Moscow.

With only three games left in the group stage, any one of the four teams in United's group is tied on four points after three rounds, and any one game is a big one for United.

The League Cup was eliminated, and Manchester United fans didn't think it was a big deal, after all, the League Cup title is still a bit of a chicken rib. But the Champions League is different, and fans' expectations for the Champions League are much higher than the League Cup.

The Champions League trophy and the Premier League title are at least as important, and even whether the weight of the Premier League title can catch up with the Champions League title is a separate discussion. At least if a team wins the Champions League and loses the league title, no one will say that the team has failed this season.

Therefore, the Champions League group stage matches are now very important. Because Manchester United's performance in the Champions League group stage was not as strong as in the Premier League, they did not take the lead in the first three rounds, and in the second three rounds of the group stage, the team did not dare to relax.

In the last round in the cold Moscow, Manchester United and CSKA Moscow drew a lot, and this time the game came to Manchester, and the weather in England also gave the Russians a disadvantage.

Manchester, who had managed to see the sun a few days ago, had been pouring rain since the day before the start of the race.

Two days of torrential rain have even led many media to speculate whether the game will be postponed. Thankfully, the rainstorm had subsided a few hours before the start of the race, and although there were still bouts of light rain, it wasn't enough to flood the turf of the Theatre of Dreams with Old Trafford's drainage.

It was only as the players entered the pitch to warm up that the rain started again.

As the players warmed up, assistant coach Ryan Giggs yelled in the wind and rain: "Warm up well, don't get hurt!" ”

There will be many surprises in a game in a rainy weather, and one of the most important things for players to pay attention to is that the chance of injury will increase under the slippery field.

But no matter what the weather is, if Manchester United can't get three points in this game, then the initiative to qualify from the group is no longer in the hands of Manchester United, this game is lost, then even if it can appear later, it is likely to be the second in the group, in the knockout draw, Manchester United will draw the first group of other groups, so that the probability of meeting a strong team in the round of 16 is too great.

Carlo Ancelotti doesn't want to start working hard in the last 16 of the Champions League and make the team pay more for no reason, so Manchester United must win this game.

Playing in heavy rain, the Russians look more difficult to adapt to than Manchester United.

In the thirteenth minute of the game, CSKA Moscow midfielder Zagoev slipped to the ground during a dribble, causing a thigh muscle strain, and CSKA Moscow had to make a passive substitution.

Perhaps it was this substitution that caused CSKA Moscow's defence to lose concentration, and United soon seized the opportunity to score a goal.

Rooney, who regained his starting position, looked to be back in fine form as he opened the scoring with a long-range shot from just outside the box that cut through CSKA Moscow's defence.

In such a terrible playing environment, football is always flying in the air more often than not. The rain also brought a lot of trouble to the goalkeeper's defense, so long-range shots often became a sharp weapon in the rain battle.

Towards the end of the first half, United scored again with a long-range shot.

This time it was Di Maria who scored the goal. After Li Qingshan got the ball in the penalty area, he made a wall for Di Maria and set up a comfortable shooting gun mount for Di Maria.

Di Maria met the ball and volleyed straight into the net, and the ball flew through the rain curtain into the net.

CSKA Moscow's goalkeeper was completely unable to react in time in the rainstorm and watched as the football flew off his other side into the net.

Two to zero!

Carlo Ancelotti got up from the dugout and rushed to the sidelines despite the torrential rain. Winning this game is too important for Manchester United. For Manchester United fans, missing out on the Champions League last season was nothing short of humiliating.

And returning to the Champions League this season, if you can't even pass the group stage, wouldn't it be even more humiliating.

Carlo Ancelotti knows that for a big club like Manchester United, the importance of the Champions League is undeniable.

The team needs to expand their impact through the Champions League, and they need the Champions League to prove that Manchester United is still one of the biggest clubs in the world.

A total of three goals were scored in this game.

In the second half, United scored from a corner.

Di Maria sent a corner kick to the middle on the right side, Li Qingshan grabbed the point with a header in the middle, shook his head to attack the goal, the goalkeeper of CSKA Moscow subconsciously reached out to block and blocked the ball, but his efforts only ended there, the football blocked by the goalkeeper fell to the feet of central defender Rojo, Rojo directly stretched out his foot and poked the ball into the door.

In the rainstorm in Manchester, Manchester United beat CSKA Moscow 3-0 at home.

After the game, the news came from the other game in the group, with PSV Eindhoven and Wolfsburg drawing in the draw, giving United the chance to overtake the rest of the group in terms of points, finishing at the top of the group table with seven points after four rounds.

PSV Eindhoven and Wolfsburg finished second and third in the group with five points each, while CSKA Moscow remained at the bottom of the group with four points.

Theoretically, with two rounds of the group stage remaining, no matter which team in this group has any hope of qualifying.

In fact, CSKA Moscow at the bottom of the queue is not the most dangerous, because PSV Eindhoven and Wolfsburg have to play Manchester United separately next, Manchester United beat these two teams, Manchester United is ironclad to qualify, and the next qualifying place will be produced in PSV Eindhoven, Wolfsburg, CSKA Moscow.

Apart from not having to play the strongest side in the group with two rounds remaining, CSKA Moscow's confidence comes from their chilly home stadium in Moscow. They will next face Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg at home and PSV Eindhoven away in the final round.

It is undoubtedly Manchester United who dominate the group now, and as long as nothing else, Manchester United should have no problem qualifying from the group. However, the other three teams are vying for a place in the qualifiers, and it will be left to the final round to find out.