Van Persie hat-trick sees United to victory at Old Trafford.
Click to watch video highlights of Man United 3-0 Olympiacos.
Robin van Persie scored his first Champions League hat-trick as Manchester United kept their season alive – and possibly their manager in a job – by storming back to beat Olympiacos 3-0 at Old Trafford.
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United were left on the brink of elimination from the Champions League after losing the last-16 first leg 2-0 in Greece after a dreadful display.
But on a stirring night at the Theatre of Dreams the Dutchman’s treble took them into the last eight for the first time since 2011 and gave boss David Moyes breathing space after the dreadful 3-0 defeat against Liverpool at the weekend.
It was the first time United had ever overturned a two-goal deficit in the competition and made them only the sixth team to have clawed back such a scoreline in the Champions League era.
Victory was far from straightforward, however, with United goalkeeper David de Gea notably producing a fine double save shortly before Van Persie levelled the tie in first-half injury time with a neat finish after Wayne Rooney’s cross.
The Dutchman had earlier given the hosts the lead on the night with a penalty, after he was barged over in the box following a lovely ball from the sublime Ryan Giggs, who rolled back the years in a centre midfield role as was arguably United’s stand-out player ahead of Van Persie.
But it was the former Arsenal man who sealed victory, wrong-footing the Olympiacos keeper with a long-range free-kick after Danny Welbeck had been fouled.
The visitors staged a late rally but Phil Jones, Rio Ferdinand and co. held strong to send the Red Devils through.
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