Robin van Persie scored with an exquisite finish plus a more fortuitous attempt Tuesday as Manchester United came from behind to win 2-1 at CFR Cluj in the Champions League.
Trailing 1-0 to Cluj's 14th-minute opener, United leveled when Rooney's cross struck Van Persie's head then shoulder to loop over the goalkeeper and land in the net in the 29th.
If the Netherlands striker's first goal was lucky, his second was pure class - and again Rooney was the provider. The England forward chipped the ball through a hesitant Cluj defense, and Van Persie slipped into space and clipped it into the corner with the outside of his boot in the 49th for his sixth goal for United.
It was the first match the pair had both started since Van Persie moved in the offseason from Arsenal, and Rooney's willingness to drop deeper to collect possession troubled Cluj's defenders all match.
''I think there are good combinations between all the players in attacking positions. The strength of this squad is in attacking positions,'' United manager Alex Ferguson said. ''If you look at the way they kept going to the end, they're good crossers of the ball.
''The best quality of both two men is that they can turn a game and this is an important feature of both of them. I think we've got a real good pair of players, top players who can finish and change a game.''
United has a maximum six points in Group H, three ahead of Cluj and Braga. Galatasaray has zero. Braga won 2-0 at Galatasaray in the other game.
Ferguson wasn't entirely happy with this trip to Transylvania, his team falling behind for the sixth time in nine matches this season after a counterattack from the Romanian champions.
Rafael Bastos swept a pass out wide to Modou Sougou, who exposed United left back Patrice Evra's defensive frailties and then whipped in a low cross that Pantelis Kapetanos finished in fine style.
''Losing that goal the way we did is a shocker. An absolute shocker,'' Ferguson said.
