Bruges — 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.

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.

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.

Bastian Schweinsteiger replaced Adnan Januzaj at half-time, enabling Herrera to move further forward, and within four minutes the Spaniard had set up Rooney’s second goal, running onto Depay’s through ball and squaring intelligently for the United captain to tap home.

Rooney completed his treble with a cool finish from Juan Mata’s pass in the 57th minute and after Bolat had denied the England captain a fourth goal, Schweinsteiger’s fine sweeping pass freed Herrera to make it 4-0.

The only United player not to enjoy the night was substitute Javier Hernandez, who slipped as he took a late penalty, sending the ball wide, and then skied Ashley Young’s cross over an open goal from close range. — AFP.

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