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Wolfsburg stunned as Man United make ideal start

Manchester United are out of the Champions League after a 3-2 defeat at Wolfsburg.

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The German scored his first goal for the Red Devils in a 1-1 draw with Premier League leaders Leicester City last month.

For Manchester United it was a sobering night, and a bleak reminder about how far they are away from rejoining the elite teams of Europe.

Meanwhile Real Madrid has thrashed Swedish side Malmo 8-nil with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring four and Karim Benzema three in the rout.

It was so close for United, and just when everything was going right, until it all changed with Wolfsburg and PSV bagging winners in the late stages of the match.

Draxler then showed why Wolfsburg paid big money for his services in the summer, bringing down Andre Schurrle’s cross-field pass, beating two men, playing a one-two with Maximilian Arnold to enter the United box and then squaring to Vieirinha for the simplest of finishes.

Two goals from Naldo and a third from Vierinha were enough to sink United, who had taken the lead through Anthony Martial and were then offered a lifeline eight minutes from time thanks to Joshua Guilavogui’s own goal.

At the Nordkurve the most boisterous Wolfsburg supporters, behind their banners for Commando Ultra and Weekend Brothers, made a din of their own.

Louis van Gaal sprung a surprise (and took a gamble) by naming Guillermo Varela in Manchester United’s starting line-up for the Champions League tie with Wolfsburg.

Martial’s first goal since October’s draw with CSKA Moscow was soon cancelled out by Naldo’s well-taken volley, the centre-back angling Ricardo Rodriguez’s free-kick past De Gea.

“We have to play the match with a lot of injuries and also the last 15-20 minutes we had to play with 10 players you have to analyse that also”, he said.

United looked to have equalised just before the break when Jesse Lingard curled home a cross from outside the area, but the linesman spotted Mata was offside and obscuring the vision of Benaglio.

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Van Gaal, having returned United to the Champions League after a season’s absence, awaits UEFA Europa League football in 2016 as Wolfsburg celebrated its first group stage progression as victor.

The loss coupled with PSV Eindhoven's 2-1 home victory over CSKA Moscow dropped United to third place in Group B meaning that they will now play in the Europa League