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MARCUS RASHFORD achieved an impressive hat-trick in the second half as Manchester United beat RB Leipzig 5-0.
But the much-loved superstar was prepared to risk not claiming the match ball as he selflessly handed Anthony Martial the responsibility of taking a penalty in the closing seconds before finally claiming the third.
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The forward entered with 27 minutes to go and scored in the 74th and 78th minutes before finally sealing his 18-minute hat-trick in stoppage time.
The 22-year-old Rashford had collected the ball moments earlier when United received a penalty, but gave it to his teammate, who shot home from the spot to go off the mark for the campaign.
He said: “I think the coach told me when I got up to speed and of course for us it means moving on and there was definitely room there.
“We seemed like we could score every time we advanced. It was a real team performance and those who started the game did well and those who entered did well.
“We can’t ask for much more than that in terms of attitude, intensity and intention to end a game.”
Rashford did well to ignore the linesman’s flag as he ran to Bruno Fernandes across the ball for his opening and the VAR proved his career had started in its own half.
Rashford said: “I thought to be fair I was on my own court so I was a bit confused when the flag was raised but all you can do is wait and see after the ball is in the net and stuff. that’s it.
“We have to work with VAR. now it’s part of the game and the faster we get used to it, the better. ”
Rashford was almost denied the hat-trick when his kind gesture towards Martial paid off for his French friend.
When asked if there had been a conversation between the two, Rashford said: “A little yes, but I feel confident that Anthony will take them too, so there was no problem.”
That made it two wins out of two in Group H. of the Champions League.
Rashford, who is making headlines off the court for his work feeding poverty-stricken children, is also doing the business against teams that excelled in the Champions League last season.
He scored the last goal of last week against the finalist PSG and now against the Bundesliga leaders and a team that reached the semi-finals.
Coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: “Marcus used his opportunities incredibly well.
“Marcus has shown that he can continue to focus on what is important on and off the court.
“He came, he did well, he had an impact and that’s what you want from submarines, but that’s only possible because the others had laid the groundwork.”
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