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Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney began a game together for the first time in Manchester United’s colours.

CFR Cluj 1  Manchester United 2

And the pair hit it off from the start as Roo provided his new strike buddy with both goals in Transylvania.

That makes it seven in six starts for Van Persie since his £22million summer switch from Arsenal.

The prospect of the Premier League’s top two goalscorers from last season in tandem is something that has excited the United fans since Van Persie’s move to Old Trafford.

Last night the pocket of travelling faithful that made the trip to Romania saw them click straightaway in this Champions League Group H clash.

Van Persie’s 19th and 20th career goals in this competition will have also turned boss Alex Ferguson’s half-time scowl into a smile.

The United manager’s pre-match Press conference had sent out a clear message to his players that he would not stand for any more sluggish starts.

They have trailed in five of their six league games this season and on Saturday by 2-0 at the break in their 3-2 home defeat to Tottenham.

So one can only imagine what was going through the manager’s head as his team fell behind after 14 minutes.

Cluj had served notice they are not in the Champions League just to make up the numbers with their 2-0 away win in Braga on match day one.

Indeed, Ferguson had highlighted their swift counter attacking play as a major danger.

They were certainly slicker and more effective than United in the early stages last night and went ahead through a well-worked move.

Rafael Bastos had spread a delightful long diagonal ball out to Modou Sougou on the right flank.

He neatly pulled the ball back for Pantelis Kapetanos, who had evaded Jonny Evans. His first-time shot was perfection — low, powerful, across David De Gea and into the far bottom corner of the United net.

What a noise the home fans in this little three-sided ground made.

The main stand shook and United were rattled.

With their greater possession, however, they began to ease their way back into the game.

Van Persie had a great chance to level the scores when Rooney forced the ball through to him.

There was just the goalkeeper to beat but his volley on the turn from around the penalty spot went wide of the left-hand upright.

The Dutchman would soon redeem himself with the equaliser on 29 minutes.

Javier Hernandez was bundled over wide on the left to give United a free-kick.

Rooney swung over a curling delivery which Van Persie went to head but met with his shoulder instead.

Time seemed to stand still as the ball looped in the air and home goalkeeper Mario Felgueiras back-peddled with his arms aloft.

It looked like the ball was going over but at the last moment it dipped under the bar.

Van Persie then had the chance to give United the lead in the 35th minute.

Tom Cleverley was the provider, putting the striker in on the angle. His shot was full of power but Felgueiras beat the effort away.

United were level at the break but Ferguson was understandably fuming at having gone behind again — as he revealed in a brief half-time TV interview.

Fergie rapped: “We are doing most things correct in terms of passing but losing that goal the way we did is a shocker, absolute shocker.”

United certainly began the second half looking like they meant business and were ahead with another goal from Van Persie on 49 minutes.

If the first goal had owed a little to good fortune, the second certainly did not.

Again it was Rooney with the delivery, this time in open play from the right flank.

The ball was radar-guided into the path of Van Persie, who flicked out a boot to help it on its way past the advancing goalkeeper and into the far bottom corner.

United should have seen the game out comfortably but that has been another problem for them in 2012.

In the end, they would need the excellent reflexes of De Gea with two stunning stops from headers, the second in injury time from Bastos.

Still, this makes it maximum points from two games and United in pole position to progress into the knockout stage.

DREAM TEAM

STAR MAN – ROBIN VAN PERSIE (Man Utd)

MAN UNITED: De Gea 7, Rafael 6, Ferdinand 6, Evans 5 (Wootton 5), Evra 6, Cleverley 7, Anderson 6, Fletcher 7, Rooney 8, Hernandez 5 (Welbeck 5), Van Persie 9. Subs not used: Lindegaard, Nani, Kagawa, Buttner, Powell. Booked: Ferdinand.

 

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