Manchester United 2-1 Wolfsburg
Manchester United recovered from conceding a goal after four minutes to win their first Champions League match of the season when they beat VfL Wolfsburg 2-1 at Old Trafford.
Exactly six years to the day since the two clubs last met at Old Trafford, the Group B game followed the same pattern with Wolfsburg taking the lead and United winning.
Daniel Caligiuri opened the scoring after some poor United defending before Juan Mata equalised with a 34th-minute penalty after Caligiuri handled in his own penalty area.
Chris Smalling stole in to score what proved to be the winner after 53 minutes leaving all four teams in the group on three points after CSKA Moscow beat PSV Eindhoven 3-2 in Moscow in the other game.
United attacked with intent from the off, but the hosts were stunned in the fourth minute when Wolfsburg took the lead.
Smalling, Morgan Schneiderlin and Daley Blind failed to dispossess Caligiuri in the right corner. He played the ball inside to Max Kruse, who returned the ball to the midfielder in the box and he jabbed the ball past David de Gea.
The goal would not have stood had Antonio Valencia been in line with his fellow defenders.
United looked for an immediate reply, but struggled to find one. Dante flung himself into the path of a Mata curler and diverted the goal-bound shot over the bar.
Anthony Martial shrugged off his marker and negotiated his way past another before rifling a shot just wide.
Matteo Darmian put in a crucial block deep inside the home box and United immediately went on the counter. Martial turned his marker and squared to the unmarked Wayne Rooney but he planted the ball into the crowd.
Finally the nerves eased inside Old Trafford when Mata cut in from the right and swung in a cross which was impeded by Caligiuri's outstretched left arm.
Referee Viktor Kassai pointed to the spot and Mata slotted the ball into the bottom left-hand corner.
United had more composure about them in defence after Ashley Young came on for Valencia at half-time.
Wolfsburg looked for another early goal, but luckily for United, Darmian was on hand to deny Bas Dost an easy tap in.
United then put themselves in charge of the game in the 53rd minute. Smalling rolled the ball past Wolfsburg goalkeeper Benaglio, but Mata should take the lion's share of the credit for the goal.
The Spaniard flicked a wayward pass over the Wolfsburg back four and into Smalling's path.
The defender slid in and guided the ball past Benaglio with his right foot.
Caligiuri tested De Gea with a low shot as Wolfsburg looked for an equaliser. Nicklas Bendtner and Andre Schurrle came off the bench to add to the Germans' attacking threat.
The former Arsenal striker fluffed a good chance just after entering the pitch and Wolfsburg continued to apply pressure, but United hung on for their first Champions League win under Van Gaal.
