UEFA Champions League: VanPersie's hat-trick firesManchester United into Q/Finals

Robin van Persie scored a sensational hat-
trick as Manchester United beat
Olympiakos 3-0 to progress to the
Champions League quarter-finals on
Wednesday, while Borussia Dortmund
joined them in the last eight.
Under-pressure United manager David Moyes
saw his side produce a much-improved
performance from Sunday’s 3-0 home defeat to
Liverpool, and Van Persie made the difference as
the ailing Premier League champions overcame a
2-0 first-leg deficit to go through.
There was less drama in Germany, where last
season’s beaten finalists Dortmund lost 2-1 at
home to Zenit St Petersburg but progressed 5-4
on aggregate.
United had only previously come back from a
first-leg defeat to win a Champions League tie
once before, against Roma in the 2007 quarter-
finals, and the listless nature of their recent
displays would have done little to inspire
confidence among the home fans at Old Trafford.
However, a Wayne Rooney header that came
back off the post set the tone before the three-
time European champions were awarded a
penalty midway through the first half when Jose
Holebas barged into the back of Van Persie.
The Dutchman confidently beat Roberto from the
spot, and the Spanish goalkeeper then did well
to save from a Patrice Evra header.
Olympiakos, who retained the Greek title at the
weekend, remained a threat and United
goalkeeper David de Gea made a brilliant double
save to deny David Fuster and Chori Dominguez
as half-time approached.
But United levelled the tie on aggregate in first-
half stoppage time when Rooney’s low cross was
lashed home first-time by Van Persie, and he
then scored the decisive third goal, and
completed his hat-trick, by curling home a free-
kick in the 52nd minute.
Moyes will be delighted that his side held on,
although there were plenty of nerves, and Evra
picked up a yellow card that rules him out of the
first leg of their quarter-final while Van Persie
went off with an injury late on.
“The way the players responded after Sunday’s
defeat pleased me. I said to them on Monday
morning we had to win 3-0 and give the crowd
something back,” Moyes told British Sky
television at full-time.
“They deserved it because we’ve not given them
much to shout about. The players were
incredibly committed. We didn’t play well in
Greece but tonight we put it right, and we
deserved it.
“It’s going to be a struggle from here, but we’re
looking forward to the draw,” he added, before
saying that Van Persie’s leg injury did not appear
to be anything serious.
- Dortmund through to the last 8 -
At the Westfalenstadion, Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang missed a glorious chance to put
Dortmund in front before Brazilian forward Hulk
put Zenit ahead with a trademark 30-yard
piledriver that swerved through the air.
Having lost the first leg 4-2 in Russia, Zenit still
needed to score twice more without reply to go
through, but Jurgen Klopp’s side levelled on the
night when captain Sebastian Kehl headed home
a Marcel Schmelzer cross before the interval.
Substitute Jose Rondon stooped to head home
and win the game for Zenit in the second half,
and incoming coach Andre Villas-Boas will have
drawn much encouragement as he prepares to
take the reins in St Petersburg.
Dortmund go through, but they do not appear to
pose quite the same threat as 12 months ago,
and will have to do without top scorer Robert
Lewandowski in the first leg of their quarter-final
due to suspension after he was booked in the
first half.
United and Dortmund join reigning champions
Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico
Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea in the
quarter-final draw, which will be made on Friday
at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. The
last-eight ties will be played at the beginning of
April.