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As it happened: Manchester United v Bayer Leverkusen, Champions League

It was David Moyes’ first European Cup game in charge at Old Trafford. And there was plenty more besides.

BIG EUROPEAN NIGHTS are back. Get in contact in the usual ways: find us on Facebook, tweet @football_ie, email adrian@thescore.ie or leave a comment below.

Man Utd 4 Bayer Leverkusen 2

Check out the rest of the night’s latest scores here

Full-time: Manchester 4 Bayer Leverkusen 2

So what did you make of that? Moyes wins a big game, as Keane challenged him to do earlier. Wayne Rooney looks like he’s hitting form while Kagawa and Fellaini got helpful runs out.

Check out the rest of the night’s scores here.

Here’s that breakaway goal from Valencia earlier:

YouTube: FootyGoals7

GOAL! Manchester 4 Bayer Leverkusen 2, Omer Toprak 88′

Oh dear. First Toprak bundles the ball home after a mistake from De Gea under a corner. And then moments later, van Persie mis-hits a Valencia cross wide of an open goal. Just moments left now and Moyes will have plenty to work on at Carrington tomorrow despite the good start.

Rooney trots off to be replaced by Chicarito. Moments earlier Alex Ferguson was either checking his watch or nodding off in the stand.

GOAL! Manchester United 4 Bayer Leverkusen 1, Antonia Valencia 78′

That’s the goal of the night. United broke down the pitch with Evra giving it to Rooney, whose lovely, weighted ball through two defenders was finished crisply by Valencia. Moyes will be pleased with this.

Elsewhere, Real Madrid are now 4-0 up away to Gala and Man City lead 3-0 against Plzen.

Old Trafford is singing Rooney’s name; he’s scored his 200th goal for the club to give United a two-goal lead against the Germans. De Gea made a smart save before launching the ball over the Leverkusen defence to leave Rooney to tuck it inside the near post.

GOAL! Manchester 3 Bayer Leverkusen 1, Wayne Rooney 69′

Here’s that earlier Rooney miss, via Balls:

GOAL! Manchester United 2 Bayer Leverkusen 1, van Persie 59

Robin van Persie has done another goal. Tony V got down the right flank and crossed the ball a little behind the Dutch striker. No matter; van Persie managed to volley it home.

Cut to Sami Hyypia on the bench. Does the former Liverpool favourite go for it?

Someone’s been at the arts and crafts biscuit tin again.

GOAL! Yaya Toure has put Man City two up against their Czech opposition.

GOAL! Manchester United 1 Bayer Leverkusen 1, Rolfes 53′

And Rooney’s profligacy has been punished almost immediately. The Bundesliga side’s skipper sweeps the ball past De Gea after it breaks to him outside the D. Did it take a bit of a deflection of Carrick?

WHAT A MISS! Wayne Rooney is walking back up the pitch with a wry smile on his face, but he cannot be happy. The England striker took the ball around the keeper to make a bit of an angle but managed to steer the ball wide of the far post rather than square to RVP or, y’know, score.

‘Let off for Manchester United’ says Clive on ITV as Sidney Sam takes the ball down inside the box under pressure from Smalling and Ferdinand but unleashes his shot straight at De Gea.

In the Czech Republic, Man City have gone 1-0 through Dzeko.

What did you make of David Moyes’ first 45 minutes as United boss in Europe then?

There’s been plenty to encourage the new boss in my view; Fellaini looks solid and his distribution has been good generally, Kagawa is bright and busy while Rooney’s return to form continues.

Check in on all the night’s games in the score centre.

Half-time: Man Utd 1 Bayer Leverkusen 0

United could have gone added to their single goal but RVP pulled it back to no when when Kagawa was steaming in and later a Rooney free-kick pulled just wide.

Elsewhere, Isco has put Real a goal to the good in Istanbul.

YouTube: Goalss Highlightss

That goal is on YouTube already. Take the rest of the night off, internet.

YouTube: Dilendgerr

This guy Rooney’s like a new signing, eh United fans?

The formerly-unsettled striker volleyed into the ground after Patrice Evra crossed from the left and the ball bounced into the roof of the net. Kagawa – liberated in the wake of the #freeshinji campaign — was involved in the build-up. But was Robin van Persie? He left the play unfold around him as he was caught in an an offside position. What do you think?

Antonio Valencia was on top of the keeper too as Rooney scored. 1-0 to the hosts, nevertheless.

GOAL! Manchester United 1 Bayer Leverkusen 0, Wayne Rooney 21′

It’s a big night for David Moyes, obviously. It’s first involvement in the blue-riband club competition since the Villarreal play-off with Everton in 2005. Here’s what he had to say about the occasion before kick-off:

YouTube: MrBeanyman62

Rooney’s still sporting his protective headgear tonight:

Which is more than enough reason to pull this one out again:

Fellaini and Kagawa start for the hosts interestingly. Here’s the teams:

Man Utd: De Gea, Smalling, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Fellaini, Kagawa, Rooney, van Persie.

Subs: Lindegaard, Evans, Anderson, Hernandez, Young, Fabio Da Silva, Cleverley.

Bayer Leverkusen: Leno, Donati, Spahic, Toprak, Boenisch, Can, Reinartz, Rolfes, Sam, Kiessling, Son.

Subs: Palop, Wollscheid, Bender, Derdiyok, Hilbert, Oztunali, Kruse.

So what of the action away from Old Trafford? In United’s group, a club close to my pintxo-loving heart, Real Sociedad, welcome Shaktar to San Sebastian. Try the rioja, my Russian friends.

Gareth Bale is on the bench in Istanbul for the Gala-Real Madrid tie, Man City are away to Plzen and Bayern Munich welcome CSKA. Hope you have the accumulators filled out neatly.

We’ve turned the heating back on this week, I bought a new coat and the Champions League is back. The summer is well and truly over.

David Moyes takes charge of United against Sami Hyypia’s Bayer Leverkusen at Old Trafford. Roy Keane, in the ITV studio, says the former Everton man needs to learn how to win the big games after failing to beat Chelsea and a loss at Anfield.

Also, in what may be a come-and-get-me message in code to John Delaney, Keane is wearing a new tie.

Eason apologises after tickets mix-up for Alex Ferguson event

Ireland’s David Meyler will be wearing rainbow laces this weekend

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