81 min: Tielemans sends a free-kick from the right straight to Romero. Anderlecht’s set-pieces in the second half have been appalling.

80 min: A Valencia cross finds Ibrahimovic. He volleys well wide.

79 min: Anderlecht make their final change, Thelin replacing the tiring Theodorczyk.

78 min: Rashford curls a cross into the area. Ruben comes for it, but it’s headed over by one of his defenders. From the resulting corner, Pogba should score. The ball lands on his right foot, six yards out, and he volleys embarrassingly high!

75 min: Valencia’s cross is headed behind by Spajic. United are really testing Anderlecht in the air now. If only Mourinho could get Robert Huth on.

73 min: “Given the constraints Ben Watson pointed out, Anderlecht’s tactic seems to have been to raid Romanian football for its talent,” notes Ian Copestake. They’ll get nowhere signing foreigners.

72 min: Pogba launches a pass over the top to Ibrahimovic. He brings it down before tumbling with Mbodji nearby. The referee waves him back to his feet.

71 min: Fellaini is making a difference in the Anderlecht box now. He throws himself at a cross from the right and the ball lands at the feet of the unmarked Ibrahimovic. He controls, opens up his body and tries to stroke the ball into the far corner, but he shoots too close to Ruben and Anderlecht scramble it away!

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69 min: A corner to Anderlecht on the left. It’s a waste, hit straight to the near post. United hoof it away and Appiah, the last man, looks panicky as Rashford closes him down. The only thing to do is let the ball bounce and make a complete dog’s dinner of his clearance, a comical slice that sends Rashford through on goal. This should be the moment for United, but Rashford takes a slightly heavy touch and although he goes round Ruben, he’s forced too wide. The goal’s gaping, but Rashford has to chase the ball, reset himself and go again, by which time Appiah’s recovered to make a timely intervention.

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68 min: Can Manchester United bring on Viktor Kassai?

65 min: Manchester United, in need of a goal, have one more change to make. Anthony Martial is still on the bench. Watch this space. Back on the pitch, United have become direct. Ibrahimovic nods down to Rashford and space opens up for him, but he wallops one wide from 20 yards.

64 min: Anderlecht make two changes. Massimo Bruno replaces Alexandru Chipciu and Nicolae Stanciu is on for the excellent Sofiane Hanni.

63 min: From the resulting corner, Fellaini bounces a header straight at Ruben. “As forecast: hoofball,” says Geoff Wignall.

62 min: Valencia lifts a cross towards Fellaini. It’s headed away, as far as Rashford, whose volley’s deflected over.

60 min: Marouane Fellaini replaces Jesse Lingard. The Anderlecht fans welcome the former Standard Liege man with a chorus of boos. I wonder how United will approach the final 30 minutes. Fellaini is presumably on for his creative qualities.

59 min: Lingard knocks a pass straight out of play. Who’s next?

58 min: Big Marouane is going to come on in a minute. Meanwhile, Shaw accidentally selects power drive and punts a pass down the line straight out for a goal-kick.

57 min: The home fans howl as Pogba, attempting to force the issue, knocks a poor pass straight through to Ruben.

54 min: A fortunate ricochet runs for Obradovic down the left. He’s got plenty of space here. His cross is pushed out by Romero, but Tielemans, who’s giving United’s midfield the runaround at times, is on hand to gather possession. He plays at his own pace, this kid. Eventually he slides a pass down the right for the overlapping Chipciu. His cross is headed straight at Romero by Teodorczyk, who couldn’t generate enough power.

53 min: Chipciu, miles out, shoots well wide. That was wasteful. The shot came after another hypnotic spell of Anderlecht possession, however, offering further evidence of their pleasing confidence. It’s never not enjoyable to see a young side play this way.

49 min: Rashford slips a fine pass through to the raiding Luke Shaw, who reaches the byline and pulls the ball across into the six-yard box. Lingard throws himself at it in the Gazza at Euro 96 style, but he’s under telling pressure from Obradovic and somehow studs wide from all of three yards out! How on earth did that stay out? I realise I’m supposed to be telling you how, but you get the point.

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48 min: Tielemans sprays a pass to Teodorczyk, who rolls Valencia and makes towards the United goal. Valencia hares back, though, holds him up and diverts his shot wide for a corner, which Romero punches away.

47 min: Luke Shaw forces Appiah to concede a corner on the left. Rashford’s delivery is headed away at the near post.

46 min: Anderlecht get the second half underway.

Half-time emails

“Great to see an impressive Anderlecht,” says Ben Watson. “One of the real casualties of the overwhelming strength of the big four leagues, and their ability to buy up all available global talent, has been the relative quality of the top clubs of the smaller nations. Surely, given the quality of the current batch of Belgian players, 20 years ago Anderlecht would have been competing for the European Cup. Same has been true for the relative power of S.Lisbon, R Vienna, D Kiev etc. Great clubs. Real shame for Euro club football.”

“I can’t help but think that Luke Shaw pulled back a little when he made that move inside because it looked it was shaping up to be repeat of the play that broke his leg,” says Patrick Dwyer. “It was a fantastic first touch that moved past one defender, but there was no follow through on his shot. There was another defender closing him down, which caused him to deliver a weak shot…too bad too, because that would have been a spectacular goal.”

“Time perhaps for Mourinho to hook the Swedish statue and play his best centre forward in his rightful position?” says Geoff Wignall. “After terrorising the Chelsea defence I’m sure he could trouble Anderlecht’s. Plus it’d encourage the others to play proper football.It’d be no surprise to see Fellaini and hoofball instead though.”

“Why would Brian Russell describe Wayne Rooney as ‘semi-detached’, as if he were a house?” says Peter Oh. “... Oh.”

Everything seemed to be going to plan for Manchester United when Henrikh Mkhitaryan gave them an early lead, but they’re actually fairly fortunate to be level at the break. Sofiane Hanni’s equaliser is the least Anderlecht deserve. The Belgians have impressed. United have been below par.

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45 min+1: In the first of two minutes of added time, Anderlecht almost score again. Acheampong holds it up in the United area and lays the ball back to Teodorczyk on the right. The striker’s return pass takes a deflection and squirts through to Hanni, who skips round Romero, six yards out, only for his touch to run out of play. Romero did well not to bring him down.

43 min: United amble up field, Lingard and Valencia combining to send Pogba on a saunter through the middle. Pogba scoops a pass towards Mkhitayran, who takes it down with a splendid touch before blazing high and wide from 20 yards.

41 min: “I was mildly surprised to see Wayne Rooney on the bench, not because he doesn’t merit it but because he just seems to be such a semi-detatched member of the Man Utd squad that I’d forgotten he was still playing,” says Brian Russell. “It’s been quite a fall for Wayne. What do you think he’ll do in the summer?” It’s between Magaluf and Vegas. More when we know more.

40 min: Shaw scoots inside from the left, onto his right foot, but shoots straight at Ruben. Jose Mourinho wasn’t thinking hard enough there.