It was a night to remember for Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney, as he grabbed a brace, while etching his name in the history books after netting 200 goals for the club. After a strong start from the hosts, Rooney opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, finishing from a Patrice Evra cross. United were dominant during the first half, and started the second-half brightly, but a swift counter-attack saw Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Simon Rolfes score a deflected effort past David De Gea after the break to level the tie. Van Persie took just minutes to swing the game United's way, after scoring a volley on the turn before the hour mark. Rooney then became the fourth player in Manchester United history to score 200 goals for the club, after he capitalised on a defensive error to cooly slot home at the near post. Antonio Valencia made it 4-1, after a swift counter attack saw the winger one on one with Leno, and he made no mistake with his finish - a low drive wrong-footing the 'keeper. A defensive mix-up saw Leverkusen pull a goal back, but it was scant consolation, and the Premier League holders ran out 4-2 winners. Rooney and Van Persie both missed easy chances to put the game beyond doubt earlier on, but both spurned their opportunities.
Crippy Cooke, 23, is a freelance Football Writer contributing to What Culture. He's had work featured on Zoo, MSN, London 24, The Telegraph, The Huffington Post, and was recently named Writer of the Year on FTBpro - while also a nominee for Best Male Blog in the Football Blogging Awards.
