Man United secure last-16 spot after labouring to a third straight win as Marcus Rashford watches a catalogue of missed chances from home, writes CHRIS WHEELER after 2-0 win in Bucharest

There hasn’t been much to shout about for Manchester United and Ruben Amorim, so we should at least credit them with securing automatic qualification for the Europa League last 16 and avoiding a two-legged play-off.

That was about as good as it got on a dour night in Bucharest as United laboured for a third straight win under Amorim to clinch third place. This competition may well offer their best chance of success in this most turbulent of seasons, and the most realistic shot at reaching the Champions League.

Diogo Dalot and Kobbie Mainoo scored second-half goals after a thoroughly forgettable first period in which United were guilty of missing a number of chances.

If Marcus Rashford had been able to stay awake, the United outcast would have no doubt watched this game at home in Cheshire counting how many of them he would have taken.

Amorim stressed on the eve of this game how much better United would be with Rashford firing on all cylinders, and here in the National Arena his team were able to give a graphic demonstration to support his theory.

But after the narrow wins over Rangers and Fulham, they once again did enough to get the job done.

Diogo Dalot was rewarded for following up the play when he was able to tap into an empty net

The Portuguese broke the deadlock on the hour for the visitors in Romania on Thursday night

All the talk pre-match had centred around Marcus Rashford’s future after he was left behind in Manchester, but United still needed a win to be certain of finishing in the top-eight or a point to virtually guarantee their progression to the last 16 without the need for a play-off.

‘It’s there on the board in our dressing room,’ said Amorim before kick-off. We need that two weeks, it’s so important, not just the training, just to prepare the Premier League games.’

The United boss made five changes, bringing in his No.2 goalkeeper Altay Bayindir and Kobbie Mainoo, Toby Collyer, Christian Eriksen and Tyrell Malacia.

It should have been enough against an average Steaua side that cost around £30million to assemble and lost 4-0 to Rangers in this competition.

But it was the one-time European champions who had the first chance of the game in the 10th minute after Malacia was booked for scything down Florin Tanase.

United have struggled against set-pieces all season and they almost conceded from another as Risto Radunovic swung over a free kick and Mihai Popescu stuck out a leg to divert the ball a fraction wide of Bayindir’s far post.

United settled and had two chances of their own, both falling to Mainoo who was playing in a more advanced position than usual high on the left.

First, Lisandro Martinez lifted a ball over the top for the young England midfielder who controlled it with one touch but fluffed the shot with his second. Then Mainoo was guilty of firing over from close range after Rasmus Hojlund had pulled the ball back to his teammate in front of goal.

Eriksen forced a block out of goalkeeper Stefan Tarnovanu from 20 yards and Martinez – warming to his role as a goal threat in recent games – swung a free kick over the bar from the edge of the area.

The Argentine then picked out Hojlund in front of goal but he could only aim a header straight at Tarnovanu. The Dane came into this match without a goal in 23 of his 28 appearances for United this season, a record that is becoming a real concern for a United team badly in need of them.

At least Amorim’s side were controlling the game and creating chances, even though poor finishing once again meant they weren’t able to make their superiority count.

Amorim shook things up at half-time by sending on Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo for Tyrell Malacia and Toby Collyer, which allowed him to move Mainoo back into midfield.

It almost paid off within two minutes of the restart when Garnacho latched onto a poor back-pass and went through on goal, but once again the finishing was off as his effort clipped the outside of the post and went wide.

Bruno Fernandes then hit the bar from distance just before the hour mark and United were ahead moments later.

Eriksen fed Mainoo on the right and he drove into the box before firing a cross towards the back post. 

Dalot was there unmarked and he was able to hammer the ball home from a tight angle as Tarnovanu scrambled back across goal.

Garnacho was introduced in the second half and the Argentine winger inspired the Red Devils to victory

United have now won their last three matches in all competitions and have kept clean sheets in back-to-back games

Steaua had hardly troubled Bayindir up to that point, but they went close to equalising almost straightaway. 

Tanase rattled the bar with a long-range effort and the ball rebounded to Daniel Birligea who somehow headed wide, although the No.9 may well have been offside.

United made sure of victory in the 68th-minute when Mainoo capitalised on a poor touch by Steaua captain Adrian Sut, fed Garnacho and then got on the end of the Argentina winger’s low cross to sidefoot the second.

It was an excellent goal that belonged to a better game, but Amorim won’t quibble as he celebrates a bye through the play-offs and some more time to work with his players on the training ground.