Louis van Gaal blasts Anthony Martial as STUPID after Manchester United forward's error to concede penalty at CSKA Moscow

By Chris Wheeler for MailOnline and Paul Hirst, Press Association

Published: 17:35 EST, 21 October 2015 | Updated: 04:28 EST, 22 October 2015

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal accused Anthony Martial of gifting CSKA Moscow a Champions League point because of his 'stupid' error in the Russian capital.

Martial scored a fine diving header to grab a 1-1 draw for United at the Khimki Arena, but the Frenchman was to blame for gifting the Russians the lead.

Martial raised his right arm going into a challenge with Mario Fernandes in the 14th minute and the ball struck it, leaving the referee with no option but to point to the spot.

Anthony Martial was booked after handling the ball in the 14th minute to gift CSKA Moscow a chance to take the lead with a penalty, an error which has led to Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal branding his striker as 'stupid'

Anthony Martial was booked after handling the ball in the 14th minute to gift CSKA Moscow a chance to take the lead with a penalty, an error which has led to Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal branding his striker as 'stupid'

David de Gea nearly spared Martial's blushes, throwing himself to the right to pull off a one-handed save from Roman Eremenko's penalty

David de Gea nearly spared Martial's blushes, throwing himself to the right to pull off a one-handed save from Roman Eremenko's penalty

The Manchester United goalkeeper got down sharply to deny Eremenko and prevent him from giving the home side the lead

The Manchester United goalkeeper got down sharply to deny Eremenko and prevent him from giving the home side the lead

Seydou Doumbia (left) was quickest to react to the rebound for CSKA and he smashed it home to give the hosts the advantage

Seydou Doumbia (left) was quickest to react to the rebound for CSKA and he smashed it home to give the hosts the advantage

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal (second left) looks on during the Champions League stalemate before later criticising Martial 

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal (second left) looks on during the Champions League stalemate before later criticising Martial 

CSKA Moscow 1-1 Manchester United

Now click here to read Ian Ladyman's full match report and check out our player ratings from Moscow.

David de Gea saved Roman Eremenko's penalty but Seydou Doumbia scored the rebound to put CSKA ahead.

Martial's second-half header saved United's blushes but their manager was disappointed with his star striker for the error that led to the hosts' goal.

Van Gaal said: 'They had the present of an Anthony Martial penalty. Martial is a human being, he reacts and it is a stupid reaction, but sometimes these things happen.

'He said it is the first time it happens to him, if it always happens with me it's a pity.

Although Van Gaal was unhappy with the French teenager for effectively handing the hosts the lead, he was pleased to escape from his trip east with a point.

United froze in the first half on a sub-zero night in Russia, but improved after the break following the introduction of Marouane Fellaini and could have snatched all three points in the second half.

Martial made amends as he headed home Manchester United's equaliser with 25 minutes to play at the Arena Khimki in Moscow

Martial made amends as he headed home Manchester United's equaliser with 25 minutes to play at the Arena Khimki in Moscow

Martial's header found the far corner of Igor Akinfeev's goal to bring Manchester United level in the 65th minute

Martial's header found the far corner of Igor Akinfeev's goal to bring Manchester United level in the 65th minute

Martial wheels away to celebrate in front of skipper Wayne Rooney after grabbing Manchester United's equaliser with a header

Martial wheels away to celebrate in front of skipper Wayne Rooney after grabbing Manchester United's equaliser with a header

The draw leaves the Red Devils in second place in Group B at the halfway point of the group stages, with home matches against PSV and CSKA, as well as a trip to Wolfsburg, to come.

'I was very happy with the performance,' Van Gaal said. 'I knew in advance that it would be a very difficult game because CSKA are very well organised and compact.

'The tempo was too slow in my opinion, I said that at half-time, and improve our tempo and switching the game from side to side. We did that better in the second half than the first half. We created more chances and could have won, but I think it is a deserved draw.

'I will be happy with a draw better than a win, we now have two home matches and you can say we are very strong at home and I hope we can win these games so we are nearly qualified or qualified, but we also have a game away to Wolfsburg.

'We are on schedule (to qualify) after the PSV Eindhoven defeat, which was a very strange defeat for us.' 

Early on, Martial had a penalty appeal of his own as he showed his usual dexterity to skip into the area before tumbling under a challenge that the Spanish referee didn't appear to have a clear view of. 

MATCH FACTS, CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP B TABLE AND MATCH ZONE FROM MOSCOW 

CSKA Moscow (4-4-1-1): Akinfeev 6, Fernandes 7.5, V Berezutski 6 (A Berezutski 40, 6), Ignashevich 6.5, Schennikov 6, Tosic 7, Wernbloom 6.5, Eremenko 6 (Panchenko 83), Musa 6.5, Dzagoev 6 (Cauna 87), Doumbia 7Ignashevich, Schennikov, Tosic, Wernbloom, Eremenko (Panchenko 83), Musa, Dzagoev (Cauna 87), Doumbia. Subs not used: Chepchugov, Nababkin, Milanov, Golovin.

Goals: Doumbia 15. 

Manchester Utd (4-2-3-1): De Gea 7, Valencia 6, Jones 6.5, Smalling 6.5, Rojo 6 (Blind 63, 6), Schweinsteiger 6 (Fellaini 45, 6), Schneiderlin 6, Lingard 6 (Depay 80), Rooney 6, Herrera 6.5, Martial 6. Subs not used: Romero, Mata, Carrick, Darmian.

Booked: Martial, Herrera, Fellaini.

Goals: Martial 65. 

MOM: Mario Fernandes 

Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (Madrid).

Attendance: 18,456

Tuesday, November 3

Man Utd v CSKA

PSV v Wolfsburg

Wednesday, November 25

CSKA v Wolfsburg

Man Utd v PSV

Tuesday, December 8

PSV v CSKA

Wolfsburg v Man Utd

Anthony Martial headed in Manchester United's equaliser, as shown by our MATCH ZONE graphic - CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Anthony Martial headed in Manchester United's equaliser, as shown by our MATCH ZONE graphic - CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Soon after that, United's summer signing received the ball after combining with Lingard but could only shoot wide with his left foot from the edge of the area.

At this stage there was no sign of the drama to come. The home crowd were excitable but apart from a couple of combinations down the right between Mario Fernandes and former United player Zoran Tosic, there was little direct danger.

About a quarter of an hour in, however, that all changed. The Russians gave themselves a little momentum with a cross that Phil Jones cleared before Tosic fired a shot in across goal that had De Gea worried for a moment.

If that was a warning, United did not heed it. Moments later, another foray down the same channel saw Martial commit the clear handball. Notably, Martial didn't seem to complain as he was booked and a penalty awarded.

With the compact stadium seemingly ready to burst, Eremenko took the spot kick and although De Gea did brilliantly to turn the ball onto the post, centre forward Doumbia — the scourge of Manchester City in Russia a year ago —arrived to slam the rebound low in to the corner.

There was some brief hope as the hour mark came and went as Rooney finally found some space to head a cross from the right powerfully down towards the near post. The goalkeeper was up to the task on that occasion while seconds later a CSKA defender was able to clear after Fellaini headed another cross – deeper this time – down at the far post.

Martial is mobbed by his team-mates after scoring the equaliser in Manchester United's Group B contest in Moscow

Martial is mobbed by his team-mates after scoring the equaliser in Manchester United's Group B contest in Moscow

Martial (right) made amends for his earlier error to help rescue a point for Manchester United as he is mobbed by team-mates

Martial (right) made amends for his earlier error to help rescue a point for Manchester United as he is mobbed by team-mates

Martial celebrates his goal with Antonio Valencia, who set up the strike on an eventful evening for the young French striker in Moscow

Martial celebrates his goal with Antonio Valencia, who set up the strike on an eventful evening for the young French striker in Moscow

Manchester United forward Martial takes a tumble after running at the CSKA Moscow defence in an attempt to win a first half penalty

Manchester United forward Martial takes a tumble after running at the CSKA Moscow defence in an attempt to win a first half penalty

Finally United were building some momentum of their own and moments later they should have been level as Lingard was played clear down the inside left channel. The youngster had time and space to shoot but he opened his body up early and Akinfeev was able to read his intentions and save.

Van Gaal then made another change, sending on Daley Blind for Marcos Rojo and soon had something to cheer about as Morgan Schneiderlin played Antonio Valencia clear and his cross was headed in by Martial. 

Meanwhile, Paul Scholes claimed Rooney is not being helped by his United team-mates.

'Wayne's no good if he doesn't have pace around him,' he observed on BT Sport.

'I was exactly the same. Wayne's not getting that so it makes him look not the player he should be.'

Consider this. Daley Blind came on as a substitute in the 63rd minute and still had more touches (47-40) and played more passes (36-27) than Rooney by full-time. Of the starting XI, only De Gea had fewer touches. 

As he enters his fourth decade, Rooney's desire has clearly not diminished, even on difficult nights like this one.

That much was clear from his frustration as he led the line in, at times, a lonely battle against the Russians' defence.

'Your 30th birthday is a big one in anyone's life but I still feel that I have a lot of years ahead of me,' he said before this game. 'For me, it's a number.'

 

 

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