During the first half of the match between Manchester United, already qualified, and Shakhtar Donetsk, eager for a victory, there were few notable chances.
On the Ukrainian side, attempts from Fred and Teixeira didn’t pose a real threat to goalkeeper De Gea. However, there was a moment of concern for Manchester United when De Gea made a mistake. Controlling the ball outside his area after being served behind, he hesitated in throwing it back, and Luis Adriano narrowly missed stealing it from his feet. Ferdinand promptly reminded the Spaniard to stay alert.
The clearest opportunity for Manchester United came from Wayne Rooney’s free-kick attempt. Awarded after a foul on Januzaj, the set piece from 30 meters saw Rooney unleash a powerful shot from the right. Unfortunately for United, the ball narrowly missed the right post. The first half concluded without any goals being scored.
