RVP scored a brilliant hat-trick as Manchester United reach the Champions League quarter-finals with 3-0 win over Olympiakos. All The Fingers were pointed at Moyes when his side lost 3-0 to Liverpool and questions were raised about the manager’s future.
But the United boss did not disappoint and got everything just right against the Greeks. The odds were against Moyes. The last time the Red Devils came back from 2-0 down in the first leg was 30 years ago when Bryan Robson inspired the team to a rousing 3-0 win over a Barcelona side that included Diego Maradona.
And Tonight the role of Bryan Robson was played by the United icon- Ryan Giggs- to lead the game. Moyes, who did not get well through the domestic season, will have his hopes alive in the European League. The only thing which did not went well with club was the hat-trick player was carried off on a stretcher late on with what looked like a knee injury.
Antonio Valencia jumped for the ball with Joel Campbell and ended up with a black eye that left him barely able to see but the winger continued after treatment.Perez picked himself up and went down the other end, heading a yard inside the United box but he fired over. The midfielder fell to the turf and placed his head in his hands. He knew he had missed a gilt-edged chance.
Persie was offered a penalty after Giggs lofted a brilliant ball over the top and Jose Hole bass barged over the Dutchman. Van Persie slotted the ball home with 25 minutes on the clock – exactly the same time that Robson had put United ahead against Barcelona in 1984. The Olympiacos goalkeeper Roberto then saved superbly from Evra as the pressure mounted. The crowd, were top on their voices as their decibel levels rose after Persie bagged his second of the night.
It was Giggs, once again, who played a key role. He spotted out Rooney with a pin-point pass and the England frontman squared to van Persie, who tucked away the simplest of side-footed finishes. Moyes knew the job was not complete yet though, and joined his players in jogging away down the tunnel at the break.
Seven minutes after the restart United went for the third goal. Danny Welbeck went down under the faintest of challenges from Manolas but that did not matter to van Persie. The striker clipped the ball over the wall and a bamboozled Roberto watched it drift past him. An injury to Persie who was the victim of a tackle by Giannis Maniatis added five minutes more on the clock, but United played it straight and hard through the entire clock and made their spot in the quarterfinals.