UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE::MANCHESTER UNITED YAANZA KWA USHINDI WA 4 KWA 2 DHIDI YA BAYERN LEVERKUSEN

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. This was the dawn of the David Moyes era in Europe at Manchester United, but somehow it felt just like old times.
A front-loaded team, an early lead, a wobble, two of the misses of the season, one of its most spectacular goals, a quite stunning counter-attack and then a brief outbreak of defensive chaos to conclude the night. Oh, this was Manchester United in Europe all right. It was as if they had never been away.
If it was a little more controlled than the scoreline suggests - United were never behind and actually had the lead for all but 27 minutes of the game - it was unmistakably a Champions League night at Old Trafford, right down to the tension that fills the ground on such occasions before the deadlock is broken. Fortunately for Moyes that happened early, after 22 minutes, but when Bayer Leverkusen drew level nine minutes into the second-half, the fear resurfaced that this is a manager with considerably less experience in Europe than his team, and indeed the supporters.

Deadlock broken: Wayne Rooney (left) opens the scoring against Bayer Leverkusen at Old Trafford

Back of the net: Rooney's cushioned shot bounces up past Leverkusen keeper Bernd Leno

Rooney celebrates

Mobbed: Rooney celebrates with Chris Smalling and Michael Carrick after his opening goal

It is quite amazing to consider that this was Manchester United's first match in European competition without Sir Alex Ferguson in charge since March 20, 1985. A new BBC soap opera called Eastenders was one month old that evening, although equally remarkable is that a United team including Paul McGrath, Bryan Robson, Mark Hughes, Gordon Strachan and Norman Whiteside - all of whom would have a reasonable chance of making this current team - should have gone out on penalties against Videoton of Hungary in a UEFA Cup quarter-final.
Ferguson, in time, took them away from all that; the terrors, the disappointment, in Europe. So the pressure on Moyes to maintain his traditions could not be underestimated. Lose here, and the old worries would return. His relief at Wayne Rooney's intervention midway through the first-half was obvious to all.
As ball hit net, Moyes leapt from his seat, his face a picture of elation. And with good reason. Until that point, chances had not exactly been plentiful, United's passing a little sloppy and the crowd subdued as a result. The fans want to get behind Moyes, the know they must get behind Moyes, but they also want to see evidence that their faith is justified. A home win over Crystal Palace is the bottom line requirement. It is on nights like this that Moyes has to show his mettle.
And by selecting such a positive team, he did. Rooney, Robin Van Persie and Shinji Kagawa all started and even the defensive midfield partnership brought together two creatives, Marouane Fellaini and Michael Carrick. This paid off. It wasn't always vintage United, but it was front foot United, and when they went ahead it was deserved.
Whether it was legal was another matter. Patrice Evra crossed, Rooney cleverly dropped off two paces and had a yard of space to meet the ball with a volley which he drilled into the ground, the ball rearing up and into the net. Bernd Leno in Leverkusen's goal was strangely immobile and replays confirmed why. Antonio Valencia was standing directly in front of him, backing in, restricting his movement, obstructing his view. It was plainly a foul yet was ignored by referee Damir Skomina of Slovenia.

At the double: Rooney clips his second goal of the night - and his 200th for United - over Leno

History boy: Rooney leaps into the night sky after reaching his landmark 200th United goal

Match facts

Man Utd: De Gea, Smalling, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Fellaini (Cleverley 81), Kagawa (Young 71),Rooney (Hernandez 84), Van Persie.
Subs Not Used: Lindegaard, Evans, Anderson, Fabio Da Silva.
Booked: van Persie.
Goals: Rooney 22, 70, Van Persie 59, Valencia 79.
Bayer Leverkusen: Leno, Donati, Spahic, Toprak, Boenisch, Can, Reinartz,Rolfes,Sam (Kruse 78),Kiessling (Derdiyok 78), Son (Bender 64).
Subs Not Used: Palop, Wollscheid, Hilbert, Oztunali.
Booked: Son, Reinartz.
Goals: Rolfes 54, Toprak 88.
Att: 74,000
Ref: Damir Skomina (Slovenia).

More mystifyingly, it was disregarded by the goal-line official who would have been standing a matter of yards away, with the infringement in plain view. What is the point of them, seriously? Michel Platini says their role has been negated by FIFA, whose rules limit Involvement, but considering the strong protests of Leno why did Skomina not ask for a second opinion? And why did the additional assistant not volunteer a protest? Maybe when you have the sixth best official in Slovenia in action at Old Trafford, he feels a little overwhelmed and does not want to rule out a home goal. In which case, he should not be there. Better nothing at all then this illusion of efficiency.
Protests waved away, the scoreline then remained in United's favour until the second-half when, in the space of seven minutes, the game turned on its head, thought about it for a while, and then went back to its previous position. At least Moyes now knows how it is going to be in Europe.
First, United had a wonderful chance to wrap the game up when Omer Toprak slipped on the ball and let Rooney through with only goalkeeper Leno to beat. Rooney ran it past him but with Van Persie screaming to be allowed to convert the simple tap in, went for glory instead and shot at an acute angle across the face of goal. The decision so surprised Van Persie he did not even lunge at it. It is fair to say he was not best pleased.

What a finish: Robin van Persie (left) leaps to hook in a superb volley to restore United's lead

What a finish: Robin van Persie (left) leaps to hook in a superb volley to restore United's lead

Dutch of class: Van Persie salutes the Old Trafford crowd after his superb volleyed goal

Master blaster: Antonio Valencia hammers the ball into the net for United's fourth goal of the night

All over bar the shouting: Van persie congratulates Valencia after his strike sealed the match

From the next counter attack, disaster for Moyes. Sidney Sam, Leverkusen's most effective forward, carried the ball the best part of 50 yards and the Germans applied pressure around the area. Son Heung-Min laid the ball back to captain Simon Rolfes and he struck a beautiful curling shot which clipped Michael Carrick on its path to goal, leaving David De Gea with no chance.
A draw would have been an inauspicious start for Moyes in Europe, but class came to the rescue. Leverkusen had only been level for five minutes when Van Persie intervened. Antonio Valencia broke down the right, crossed and the Dutchman pivoted in the air with the ball behind him to strike an overhead volley that left Leno nonplussed. He should have done better, but perhaps he was just taken by surprise. Brilliance does that sometimes.
What followed was the icing for Moyes and United. With 20 minutes remaining, De Gea delivered a long goal-kick which was read poorly by Emir Spahic for Leverkusen and headed back towards his own goal. Rooney pounced on it, drew the hapless Leno, and finished smartly at his near post. Now nobody would be talking about that miss.

It all started so well: Rooney goes around Leverkusen keeper Leno during the second half

... but Rooney misses the open goal and sends his shot well wide of the far post with Van Persie unmarked

What did I do? Rooney holds his head in his hands after his extraordinary miss

Agony: David Moyes can't believe Rooney has missed, and neither can Sir Alex Ferguson (below) in the stands

Agony: David Moyes can't believe Rooney has missed, and neither can Sir Alex Ferguson (below) in the stands

The fourth goal was a United counter-attack so classic one half expected to look to the touchline and see another Scotsman doing his granddad dance of celebration. A Leverkusen move broke down, substitute Ashley Young sped along the left flank, found Rooney inside and he switched it to Valencia on the right, whose shot was low and powerful. Seamless United. No team counter punches quite like them; no English team, at least.
The one negative for Moyes - aside from a quite ridiculous booking for Van Persie that made the Slovenian official look a greater fool with each reshowing - was Leverkusen's second goal. De Gea's ability in the air has improved in the Premier League game, but maybe he is not expecting an aerial battle in Europe. It certainly seemed that way as he made a complete hash of a Leverkusen corner, inspiring a shot against the bar, an unseemly scramble and finally a close range finish from Toprak.

Stuck in: Marouane Fellaini (right) made his full debut for United on the big European stage

This heat map shows where Fellaini touched the ball on his full debut for his new club
- CLICK HERE for more heat maps and all the facts and stats from Tuesday's Champions League matches

That Van Persie then complimented the goal of the season with the miss of it will have been a source of mild frustration, too, but this remained United's night. The dawn of a new era ended up more like a game of spot the difference - although, undoubtedly, Moyes would have settled for that at the start.

Consolations: Simon Rolfes (above) and Omer Toprak (below) score for Leverkusen

Consolations: Simon Rolfes (above) and Omer Toprak (below) score for Leverkusen