LONDON,(Reuters) – Manchester United’s first appearance in the Europa League group stage ended in disappointment after Feyenoord’s Tonny Trindade applied a slide-rule finish late in the second half to secure a 1-0 win on Thursday.
Europe’s second-tier contest began in earnest with three times continental champions United topping the bill in Group A, but Jose Mourinho’s side were undone after a poor display in which clearcut chances were at a premium.
For United it was a second defeat in six days after they lost to rivals Manchester City in the Premier League, and it ended Mourinho’s honeymoon period after he began the season with four straight wins including a Community Shield victory.
United never really looked like scoring even after striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was introduced in the second half as part of a triple substitution and they were picked off on the counter in the 79th minute. Nicolai Jorgensen looked offside when he burst clear on the right flank but he crossed low for Trindade to slide the ball past David De Gea with a precise sidefooted finish.
