There was a heartwarming moment at the end of Manchester United’s 1-0 victory over Benfica when Romelu Lukaku consoled his fellow Belgian Mile Svilar following his costly mistake. The 18-year-old, whose appearance made him the youngest goalkeeper ever to play in the Champions League, gifted Marcus Rashford the only goal of the game at the Estadio da Luz. The teenager caught Rashford’s free-kick but couldn’t help carrying it over his own line as he back-peddled.
Visibly distraught come the final whistle, Svilar was consoled by a number of his team-mates and members of coaching staff. And Lukaku went out of his way to make sure his fellow Belgian was not too crushed by the experience. The United striker was seen giving his distraught compatriot a heartfelt pep talk before bringing him in for a warm embrace in what was a fine display of sportsmanship.
However, it seems taking advantage of the inexperienced youngster was a key part of manager Jose Mourinho’s gameplan. “The manager said to us we have to try to shoot and to give some crosses towards him because he is young and it is his first game,” Nemanja Matic said.
