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		</div><p><b>Manchester United 2 Southampton 0</b></p>
<p>Zlatan Ibrahimovic refused to share his Old Trafford spotlight with Paul Pogba, scoring in each half as Manchester United brushed aside Southampton 2-0 in the first of the Premier League&#8217;s new Friday night attractions.</p>
<p>Pogba, the most expensive man in football with an £89million price tag around his neck, was handed his second United debut after missing the season opener through suspension but Ibrahimovic is not a man to be outdone easily.</p>
<p>Pogba is United&#8217;s future, and he turned in a midfield performance brimming with athleticism, energy and skill, but Ibrahimovic is the man of the moment, taking his tally to four goals in his first three matches with a precision header and a neat penalty.</p>
<p>The return of the prodigal child certainly caused a pre-match stir, with Pogba&#8217;s image glaring broodingly from the matchday programme and the home fans reserving their loudest roar for his name.</p>
<p>After such a build-up it was almost inevitable that his first touch would be a disappointment and he duly miscontrolled the ball off his instep before giving it away with a sloppy retrieval attempt.</p>
<p>But the fans were audibly energised, a stark contrast to the flatness of the Louis van Gaal era, and Ibrahimovic, Pogba and Juan Mata were soon probing away with a series of neat touches and flicks in the final third.</p>
<p>Ibrahimovic&#8217;s cutback gave Pogba an early chance at goal in the 13th minute, but his curling effort was never likely to beat visiting goalkeeper Fraser Forster.</p>
<p>Southampton relied on counter-attacks and might have taken the lead when Nathan Redmond peeled away from Eric Bailly and into the box.</p>
<p>Dusan Tadic was lurking at the far post but Redmond put too much on his cross and the chance disappeared.</p>
<p>An opening goal never seemed far away, be it Shane Long missing by a yard after United failed to clear a free-kick or Wayne Rooney warming Forster&#8217;s hands with a low drive.</p>
<p>Ibrahimovic also attempted a trademark bicycle kick after Pogba&#8217;s cute chip and Mata&#8217;s flick on, but he could not control the attempt.</p>
<p>United eventually broke the deadlock in the 36th minute when Rooney hunted down Antonio Valencia&#8217;s pass at the corner flag. He took a moment to assess his options and hung a bending cross to the leaping Ibrahimovic.</p>
<p>He outjumped Jose Fonte, hung in the air and guided his header past the diving goalkeeper.</p>
<p>The game was effectively settled inside in the first seven minutes of the second half.</p>
<p>Southampton came tantalisingly close to parity when Tadic beat David de Gea with his head, only for the referee to chalk it off for a push.</p>
<p>Within seconds United were attacking at the other end, Luke Shaw had burrowed into the box and Jordy Clasie was penalised for felling him.</p>
<p>Ibrahimovic stepped up, buried the penalty and the points were all but safe.</p>
<p>United were eager to entertain though, and Pogba might have put the perfect end to matters when he rose to meet a 63rd-minute corner. He was not the only one to react with shock as his header landed in the crowd rather than the net.</p>
<p>Ibrahimovic was also hunting his hat-trick, but made a rare error in timing when Mata picked him out at the far post.</p>
<p>Pogba had one last late chance to pen his dream finale but after making great ground on the overlap he shot wide.</p>
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