AP
Manchester, August 20: Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice and Paul Pogba excelled in his first game back at Manchester United as the team’s high-profile offseason signings starred in a 2-0 win over Southampton in the Premier League here Friday.
The good times appear to be back at Old Trafford, with Ibrahimovic’s towering header in the 36th minute and a penalty conversion in the 52nd earning United a second straight victory to open the league season under new manager Jose Mourinho.
Ibrahimovic has already scored three league goals, to complement his winner in the Community Shield against Leicester. As pleasing to Mourinho was the way Pogba slotted into the side in his first appearance since a world-record USD 116 million transfer, displaying his range of tricks, vision, athleticism and box-to-box energy.
Pogba lasted the full game, despite having not played since France’s loss to Portugal in the European Championships final, July 10. He could even have scored in injury time when he sprinted the length of the field to follow a counter-attack, and shot just wide.
“You can see even more the ego, the personality; he is so comfortable in the skin of a star,” Mourinho said after the game. “For 10 days’ work, first match of the season, not even 10 minutes of a friendly, I think he played phenomenal.”
One jinking run past three Southampton players and to the edge of the visitors’ box just before half time, demonstrated why Mourinho was so keen to get Pogba. Another shimmy early in the second half that left his marker on his backside had the Man U fans roaring with delight.
Ibrahimovic’s first goal owed as much to Wayne Rooney’s excellent cross as the Swedish striker’s bullet header. The Swedish striker was surrounded by defenders but rose highest to meet Rooney’s right-wing delivery and direct a header back into the corner.
Ibrahimovic then converted a penalty after left-back Luke Shaw was tripped by substitute Jordy Clasie as he surged into the Southampton area.