Wayne Rooney ended his goal drought with a hat-trick as Manchester United beat Club Brugge to book their place in the Champions League group stages
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Wayne Rooney scored his first European hat-trick since his Manchester United debut against Fenerbahce in 2004.
It was Rooney's first hat-trick since a treble against Bolton Wanderers in September 2011.
Memphis Depay has had a hand in four of Manchester United's goals in this Champions League qualifying campaign with two goals and two assists.
Manchester United will go into the draw for the Champions League group stages on Thursday before a trip to Swansea for a game on Sunday.
AFP
Bruges, Belgium
Wayne Rooney ended a 10-game scoring drought in style with a hat-trick as Manchester United overpowered Club Brugge 4-0 on Wednesday to qualify for the Champions League group phase.
Rooney had symbolised his side's recent goal-scoring problems, which have seen them score only twice in three Premier League games, but he produced three assured finishes and Ander Herrera added another to return United to the tournament after a first season of absence in 19 years. Louis van Gaal's side won the play-off 7-1 on aggregate, following last week's 3-1 victory in Manchester, and will discover the identities of their three group-stage opponents in Thursday's draw in Monaco.
"I am very happy because it was our aim last year to participate in the Champions League and we did it tonight," said Van Gaal, who also saw substitute Javier Hernandez miss a late penalty. "Wayne has a very strong mentality and with his level, he always shall come back."
It was Rooney's first hat-trick since a treble against Bolton Wanderers in September 2011 and his first in Europe since his dazzling debut hat-trick for United against Fenerbahce as an 18-year-old in September 2004. "To be honest, if I didn't have a strong character, that (the criticism) might have affected me," Rooney told BT Sport. "I wasn't worried. It is early days and when the chances came, I took them."
Van Gaal had warned his players to expect a hostile reception and there were baffled faces before kick-off at Jan Breydel Stadium when the visiting fans were subjected to a blast of 'You'll Never Walk Alone', the anthem that Club Brugge happen to share with United's bitter rivals Liverpool. Van Gaal made two changes to his starting XI, bringing in Herrera and Michael Carrick, and the former looked less than comfortable in a midfield holding role, playing several careless passes and receiving a booking for an impetuous foul on Victor Vazquez.
Dutch midfielder Memphis Depay had a role in Rooney's first two goals on 20 and 49 minutes, with a Juan Mata cross eight minutes later allowing the United captain complete his hat-trick. Spaniard Ander Herrera compounded a night of misery for the Belgian club after 63 minutes following a Bastian Schweinsteiger cross to put the three-time winners of the Champions League through in style, despite substitute Javier Hernandez missing a late penalty.
United -- winners in 1968, 1999 and 2008 -- didn't feature in the competition last season but had previously reached the group stages for 18 years in succession. Brugge have not made the group stages since the 2005/06 season and coach Michel Preud'homme admitted the outcome was logical.
LVG's midfield conundrum
Ander Herrera made his first start of the season as United manager Louis van Gaal rested Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger, and the Spaniard pushed his claims for a regular starting berth.
The diminutive playmaker started alongside the more defensive Michael Carrick and, despite some early rustiness, his vision and creative instincts benefitted Rooney and United in attack. Van Gaal's players have been accused of not helping Rooney by failing to run beyond him to help create space.
Herrera, though, was keen to push on, scoring a goal of his own as the Belgians capitulated.
Schweinsteiger and winger Ashley Young were introduced in the second half, adding to the competition for midfield places at United.
