Bayer Leverkusen 0-5 Manchester United

Manchester United reached the Champions League's last 16 with a game to spare after thrashing Bayer Leverkusen.

Wayne Rooney, who had a hand in four goals, chipped to the back post for Antonio Valencia's tap-in for the first before Emir Spahic scored an own goal from the United striker's free-kick.

Stefan Reinartz's header hit the post after deflecting off Ryan Giggs before Jonny Evans turned in from a corner.

Chris Smalling then touched in and Nani rounded the keeper for a fifth.

• The scoreline represented United's biggest away win in Europe since a 6-1 demolition of Borussia Dortmund in 1964.
• Only once have they won by a greater margin on their travels, when a Busby Babes outfit containing Bill Foulkes, who died earlier this week, defeated Shamrock Rovers 6-0.
• It was also the biggest winning margin by an English side in Germany since the Champions League was launched in 1992.

The result is United's biggest away win in the Champions League and confirmed a miserable night for the German side, who are second in the Bundesliga and lost an unbeaten home record.

Sami Hyypia's team could not cope with the irrepressible Rooney and the evergreen Giggs, who two days short of his 40th birthday showed his class and composure alongside Phil Jones in the centre of midfield.

United's two first-half goals obliterated any momentum the hosts had, and although United were without the injured trio of Robin van Persie, Michael Carrick and Nemanja Vidic, plus the suspended Marouane Fellaini, the visitors were rarely troubled.

The victory meant United boss David Moyes has reached the latter stages of the Champions League at his first attempt with the club and it will give further credence to claims from first-team coach Phil Neville that the players are beginning to believe in his methods.

Last year's Premier League champions extended their unbeaten run to 11 games, and ahead of a tricky run of domestic fixtures against Tottenham, Everton and Newcastle, they can at least relax about their final Champions League match at home to Shakhtar Donetsk.

A point in that game will mean they top Group A.

Leverkusen are only four points behind leaders Bayern Munich in Germany and looked like they were beginning to pose a threat to the heart of United's defence early on.

But the game's course changed after 22 minutes when Evans did superbly to block Stefan Kiessling's shot before United immediately swept down the opposite end to open the scoring after a swift counter attack.

The ball was fed to Giggs and the Welshman found Rooney, who chipped to the back post where Valencia pounced.

It was a hammer blow to the 2002 Champions League runners-up and the home supporters were stunned further when United extended their lead eight minutes later.

Shinji Kagawa, who also impressed and had a hand in the first goal, was brought down by Reinartz on the left wing, and Rooney's perfectly dipping free-kick was headed in by Spahic, under pressure from Smalling.

Leverkusen had an isolated chance around the hour mark when Reinartz's header from a corner hit Giggs and clipped the post.

But after Nani dragged his shot wide and Rooney was also inches off-target after nutmegging Simon Rolfes, Evans touched in after Rooney had drawn a save from Giggs's corner.

With that, the contest was over but after more poor Leverkusen defending, Rooney lobbed to Smalling for a close-range finish and Nani then raced onto Giggs's pass to round Bernd Leno and seal a historic victory.

You can catch up with tonight's Champions League action by checking out a photo album on the BBC Sport Facebook album

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

B Leverkusen

• 1Leno
• 26Donati
• 10Can
• 3ReinartzSubstituted forHegelerat 70'minutes
• 21Toprak
• 5Spahic
• 8BenderSubstituted forKohrat 81'minutesBooked at 90mins
• 6Rolfes
• 11Kießling
• 27Castro
• 7Son Heung-MinSubstituted forDerdiyokat 70'minutes

Substitutes

• 2Stafylidis
• 4Wollscheid
• 9Derdiyok
• 13Hegeler
• 23Kruse
• 31Kohr
• 36Lomb

Man Utd

• 1de Gea
• 12Smalling
• 3EvraSubstituted forBüttnerat 70'minutes
• 11Giggs
• 5Ferdinand
• 6Evans
• 25A ValenciaSubstituted forYoungat 80'minutes
• 4Jones
• 10RooneySubstituted forOliveiraat 80'minutes
• 26Kagawa
• 17Almeida da Cunha

Substitutes

• 8Oliveira
• 13Lindegaard
• 14Hernández
• 18Young
• 19Welbeck
• 23Cleverley
• 28Büttner

Referee:

Svein Oddvar Moen

Match Stats

Home TeamB LeverkusenAway TeamMan Utd

Possession

Home48%

Away52%

Shots

Home9

Away18

Shots on Target

Home1

Away7

Corners

Home8

Away5

Fouls

Home15

Away14

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Bayer 04 Leverkusen 0, Manchester United 5.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+4'

Second Half ends, Bayer 04 Leverkusen 0, Manchester United 5.

Posted at 90'+3'

Attempt blocked. Ryan Giggs (Manchester United) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Posted at 90'+2'

Nani (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 90'+2'

Foul by Ömer Toprak (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).

Booking

Posted at 90'

Dominik Kohr (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) is shown the yellow card.

Posted at 90'

Foul by Nani (Manchester United).

Posted at 90'

Emir Spahic (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 89'

Attempt saved. Eren Derdiyok (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Stefan Kießling.

Goal!

Posted at 88'

Goal! Bayer 04 Leverkusen 0, Manchester United 5. Nani (Manchester United) right footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ryan Giggs.

Posted at 86'

Chris Smalling (Manchester United) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 86'

Foul by Emir Spahic (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).

Posted at 84'

Attempt missed. Anderson (Manchester United) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Nani following a fast break.

Substitution

Posted at 81'

Substitution, Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Dominik Kohr replaces Lars Bender.

Substitution

Posted at 80'

Substitution, Manchester United. Anderson replaces Wayne Rooney.

Substitution

Posted at 80'

Substitution, Manchester United. Ashley Young replaces Luis Antonio Valencia.

Posted at 79'

Attempt missed. Alexander Büttner (Manchester United) left footed shot from outside the box is too high following a corner.

Posted at 79'

Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by Bernd Leno.

Posted at 79'

Attempt saved. Phil Jones (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Wayne Rooney with a cross.

Posted at 78'

Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by Emir Spahic.

Goal!

Posted at 77'

Goal! Bayer 04 Leverkusen 0, Manchester United 4. Chris Smalling (Manchester United) right footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Wayne Rooney following a corner.

Posted at 77'

Attempt missed. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Shinji Kagawa.

Posted at 76'

Corner, Manchester United. Conceded by Emir Spahic.

Posted at 75'

Alexander Büttner (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 75'

Foul by Lars Bender (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).

Posted at 74'

Phil Jones (Manchester United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 74'

Foul by Eren Derdiyok (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).

Posted at 73'

Attempt missed. Lars Bender (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Gonzalo Castro following a set piece situation.

Posted at 73'

Foul by Alexander Büttner (Manchester United).

Posted at 73'

Lars Bender (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 71'

Foul by Ryan Giggs (Manchester United).

Posted at 71'

Gonzalo Castro (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 70'

Foul by Jonny Evans (Manchester United).

Posted at 70'

Lars Bender (Bayer 04 Leverkusen) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Substitution

Posted at 70'

Substitution, Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Eren Derdiyok replaces Heung-Min Son.

Substitution

Posted at 70'

Substitution, Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Jens Hegeler replaces Stefan Reinartz.

Substitution

Posted at 70'

Substitution, Manchester United. Alexander Büttner replaces Patrice Evra.

Posted at 67'

Luis Antonio Valencia (Manchester United) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 67'

Foul by Simon Rolfes (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).

Goal!

Posted at 65'

Goal! Bayer 04 Leverkusen 0, Manchester United 3. Jonny Evans (Manchester United) right footed shot from very close range to the bottom right corner following a corner.

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