Marcus Rashford grabs hat-trick as Manchester United’s new shape rips through RB Leipzig

Manchester United 5-0 RB Leipzig: A diamond midfield produced impressive results for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side

Marcus Rashford took away the matchball after a blistering hat-trick (EPA)

Is there any stopping Marcus Rashford? This first career hat-trick for an emerging national hero not only rounded off an emphatic 5-0 win for Manchester United over RB Leipzig but also one of the most impressive fortnights in a professional footballer’s career on and off the pitch.

Rashford is not only winning hearts and minds but matches. His three goals, plus one each from Mason Greenwood and Anthony Martial, ensured that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side would take maximum points from their opening two games in Group H on their return to the Champions League.

Having beaten one of last year’s finalists in Paris Saint-Germain last week, United have now claimed the scalp of one of the semi-finalists too. A pair of victories home and away against Turkish champions Istanbul Basaksehir either side of the forthcoming international break will not only guarantee a place in the knock-out stages but will set United up to qualify as group winners.

After all the criticism, Solskjaer deserves credit. This was a controlled, measured performance full of structured attacking play and resolute defending. It all came with a new diamond formation to boot, and while Leipzig head coach Julian Nagelsmann’s sartorial choices may be questionable at the best of times, at least United may have found the right fit.

After much clamour for Donny van de Beek, Solskjaer handed his new £35m signing a  European start by giving much-needed rests to Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford, the two goalscorers in Paris. This switch not only made room for Van de Beek at the tip of the diamond but pushed Paul Pogba into a more advanced position to the left and allowed Greenwood to play as a central striker rather than wide right.

It was the latter two – playing in their natural positions – who combined for the first. Pogba collected possession from Fred in midfield and drove at Leipzig’s massed ranks, daring them to step forward and take the ball. The highly rated United target Dayot Upamecano was so transfixed by the bustling presence in front of him, he was blindsided by Greenwood’s run off his shoulder.

Greenwood’s one-on-one finishing since breaking through less than a year ago has been so instinctive, so effortless, that each sublime goal barely registers as a surprise now. This was just as spectacular as any that have come before it, his strike casually slotted across goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi from the inside-left channel and into the bottom right-hand corner. It was the teenager’s first Champions League goal. It will not be the last.

Leipzig underwhelmed. The usual high-intensity counter-pressing was there but much of their attacking output went through Angelino, the Manchester City loanee, and he was no match for the excellent Aaron Wan-Bissaka. The right-back’s one-on-one defending digs his team-mates out of many a hole and Leipzig’s repeated attempts to catch United out down Wan-Bissaka’s side were thwarted time and time again.

United could not rest on their laurels. The intensity of Leipzig’s play both in and out of possession demanded a disciplined defensive performance but Nagelsmann’s side had very few clear-cut chances. The best to come while the contest was still alive fell to Ibrahima Konaté, but his far-post header from a narrow angle was easily beaten away by a largely untested David de Gea.

Solskjaer called on Rashford to provide a fresh counter-attacking outlet. He delivered, sprinting through clear on goal after his fellow substitute Bruno Fernandes had exploited Leipzig’s high line with a first-time through ball. Rashford applied the finish but saw play called back for offside.

Television replays showed that his toe was on the white of the halfway line as Fernandes played the ball forward. The officials took a moment to confirm that you cannot, in fact, be offside within your own half and eventually awarded the goal.

Rashford added his second a few minutes later after Fred showed Leipzig some counter-pressing of his own. After the Brazilian turned the ball over deep in the visitors’ half, Rashford knocked a few pounds off Upamecano’s price tag by dancing round the defender and thumping a low finish past Gulacsi. There was no doubt about this one. All that was left was to claim the match ball for the first time in his career.

It was a surprise, then, to see Martial step up when United won a penalty late on, even if he was the one brought down by Marcel Sabitzer’s wild challenge. Martial converted but Rashford would not be denied. In the second minute of added-on time, some neat and nimble footwork by Martial down the left flank drew Leipzig’s defence out, leaving Rashford in enough space to plunder his third on a memorable night for him and United.