Wayne Rooney played a starring role as Manchester United recorded their biggest European away win since 1964 to book themselves a place in the Champions League knockout stages with a game to spare. Rooney might not have got his name on the scoresheet in the 5-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen but the 28-year-old's name was stamped all over a classy display that must rank amongst the best David Moyes has enjoyed during his short tenure so far. Rooney collected the first four assists and was off the pitch when Nani scored United's fifth. It was his cross that provided Antonio Valencia with a first half tap-in and Rooney who then curled over the free-kick that was headed into his own net by Emir Spahic as United took command before the break. Rooney's close-range shot midway through the second period was too hot for Bernd Leno to hold, allowing Jonny Evans to finish off and then he lobbed a pass to Chris Smalling. Nani completed the rout as United became the first English side to score four in Germany in this competition and record their biggest away triumph in Europe since a 6-1 demolition of Borussia Dortmund in the old Fairs Cup.
It was a result that made a mockery of Leverkusen's status as second only to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, the European champions the single team to escape the Bay Arena with so much as a draw prior to this one-sided affair. Moyes can certainly be pleased with himself, although there is still a little bit of work to do against Shakhtar Donetsk at Old Trafford in a fortnight. United will go into that game needing a point to secure top spot in Group A and avoid a nasty encounter with one of the competition's heavyweights in the spring, with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Paris St Germain all lying in wait for an unsuspecting runner-up.
Substitute Alvaro Negredo and Edin Dzeko kept Manchester City's hopes of topping Champions League Group D alive by securing a 4-2 win over Viktoria Plzen. With a place in the last 16 already secured, City were below par at the Etihad Stadium and were twice pegged back by the Czech minnows. Sergio Aguero and Samir Nasri both put Manuel Pellegrini's men ahead but Tomas Horava and Stanislav Tecl responded, before Negredo and Dzeko finally clinched victory in the last 12 minutes. Pellegrini had made seven changes for the match - including restoring England goalkeeper Joe Hart - but it needed the late introduction of Negredo to finally tilt the game their way. Dzeko, who had laboured for little reward, put the game beyond doubt in the last minute, setting up a potential group decider with Bayern Munich next month.
