Manchester United V. Galati: 5 Things Learned from the Champions League Clash

Another Champions League week, another 2-0 win for Manchester United over their opponents from Bucharest. And once again, even at Old Trafford, that win did not come easily.

Otelul Galati put United on the defensive, and, led by Liviu Antal and Ionut Neagu, they made some strong attempts that made David De Gea sweat and probably induced a whole lot of swearing at the television. Still, there were some points of optimism, mostly courtesy of the younger players like Phil Jones, who was tenacious and a leader tonight. 

Here are five lessons we learned in tonight's Champions League clash, which United will hopefully take to heart before the knockout stage is upon us. If you have any more insights from the match you'd like to share, as always, have at it in the comments. 

Paul Scholes was in the crowd tonight at Old Trafford to see Wayne Rooney try his luck in Scholes' classic (and since lacking) playmaker role. 

He's still probably better off as a striker, but of all of Sir Alex's positioning risks tonight, this is the one which paid off the most. In a creative midfield role, Rooney had a surprisingly great game, completing the vast majority of his passes, utilizing the pitch well, setting up some well-timed chances and seeming like he was having a well good time with it all.

His future is still definitely up front, especially as he inches ever closer to the record of the English player with the most goals scored in Champions League competition, a record currently held by his United teammate, Ryan Giggs. But when push comes to shove, as United look for a new playmaker and wait for the return of Tom Cleverley (which should be soon), Rooney proved he can fill the role if needed.

Preferably in January, but as soon as possible. Most Manchester United fans have probably figured this for a while; tonight just reinforced it. 

The usual defensive struggles came back to haunt United tonight. The Jonny Evans-Rio Ferdinand centre-back combination that crashed and burned at the Manchester Derby were better against Otelul, but still underwhelmed and made a share of mistakes. Anderson repeatedly gave the ball away and demonstrated a serious lack of vision, and even Nani, out of his comfort zone playing in the left wing, wasn't his usual self. Wayne Rooney, a striker, was occasionally playing a DM role tonight to pick up the slack.

United needs a tough defensive midfield enforcement to keep the ball in possession and prevent the burden from falling on players who are meant to be doing other things. Plenty of options have been discussed, among them, Bruno Soriano and the versatile Claudio Marchisio, and even Yann M'Vila, but regardless of who it is, one is necessary. Phil Jones, who was spectacular tonight, can play in a DM role, but with much of the defensive line out of commission, he's needed more in the back four at the moment. 

One notable performance tonight came in the form of Fábio Da Silva, who has fallen under the radar as of late in favor of some of the other more prominent players in this new batch of Fergie's Fledglings. But tonight, the 21-year-old right-sided speed demon proves he can last a full match, complete with some flashes of brilliance.

In a fairly sluggish first half for United, Fábio stepped up with bursts of pure energy, charging down the pitch with ambitious, powerful runs that never quite saw the ball go into the net, but kept the ball in United's possession and demonstrated tremendous effort. He faded out a bit during the second half, but the fact that he stayed in the entire match was impressive in and of itself. Hopefully, it means he's ready to play more of a role. 

And with regular right-back Chris Smalling out for a month, perhaps we'll see more upcoming performances from Fábio.

Sir Alex Ferguson has put a lot of stake on the young up-and-comers on his team, and tonight, when veterans like Rio Ferdinand and Dimitar Berbatov couldn't quite deliver, it was the kids who stepped up and played their hardest. 

We've already discussed Fábio Da Silva, but Phil Jones had a cracking night as well, full of determination and with the teenage defender proving adept at getting forward. For all the skepticism that still surrounds him at times, a hard-working David de Gea picked up the defensive slack when it counted and saved his side from the Otelul attack onslaught in the second half, picking up a clean sheet along the way.

And newcomer Ezekiel Fryers finally got his Champions League debut—he didn't play for long, coming as a last-minute substitute for Jonny Evans, but it was nice to see him get some time on the pitch. 

If there's anything we can all learn, regardless of fan affiliation or attachment to Manchester United, from this exchange of matches is that even if a team is at the bottom of the odds table and has only scored once in the Champions League, assumption and complacency can have some serious consequences.

FC Otelul Galati came into this tournament as massive underdogs, as no-hopers. And even though they will likely finish at the bottom of the table in their group, they gave one of the most established, heavy-favorite clubs in this competition a serious fight.

The attack from Ionut Neagu and Adrian Salageanu was formidable and feisty, and Liviu Antal further asserted himself as one of European football's most exciting up-and-comers. This may have been one of David De Gea's most trying matches, and it was against a side whose name some fans have trouble spelling. 

Can't wait to see them play Basel in the next set of matchups.