Wayne Rooney’s return to form came about after improved movement from his team-mates provided him with more service than he has had all season

Louis van Gaal’s coaching philosophy places a huge importance on the overall structure of his team – he is primarily concerned with the positioning and movement of all 10 outfielders when his side have possession. Therefore, the Dutchman will have been delighted with this Manchester United performance, which was evidence United’s integrated movement is unlocking opponents regularly.

Throughout the first half, the roles of two players were very interesting. Matteo Darmian took up a very aggressive position from right-back, pushing forward to exploit Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo’s lack of interest in defensive work. It meant Michael Carrick moved towards that flank to cover, and Chris Smalling found himself unusually near the touchline on a couple of occasions too. But, more crucially, it allowed Juan Mata to drift inside without United sacrificing the attacking width Van Gaal demands.

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The other interesting role was that of Adnan Januzaj, who continues to be used in the No10 role. Although he has yet to demonstrate consistent quality in the final third, his movement is excellent – he drifts from side to side, dragging the opposition’s holding midfielder out of position.

Like last week, United carved Brugge apart in that zone between the lines. In the first leg Timmy Simons struggled to cope, and while his replacement Claudemir showed more mobility in the deep-lying midfield role, he too was overloaded by the trio of Mata, Januzaj and Memphis Depay, who again cut inside dangerously, but here showed a creative side to his game having scored twice in the first leg.

The opener was a good example of United’s movement – Januzaj had moved forward, dragged Claudemir into a position where he became an extra centre-back, and Depay accepted the invitation to charge inside. His through-ball for Wayne Rooney was met with a beautiful dinked finish, putting United in control.

After the break United showed intelligence in managing the situation. Having started on the front foot, they became more conservative, drawing Club Brugge up the pitch before hitting them on the counterattack and repeatedly creating chances.

The movement of Adnan Januzaj and Matteo Darmian allowed Juan Mata and Memphis Depay to find space between the lines. Photograph: Guardian sport

Bastian Schweinsteiger was introduced in place of Januzaj, a sign United wanted to retain the ball for longer periods, which meant Ander Herrera shifted forward into a more attacking midfield position, from where he scored United’s fourth. The Spaniard also assisted Rooney’s second with an excellent pass, a move which owed much to United’s movement – Rooney’s run towards the far post was simple, but crucial.

The move for Rooney’s hat-trick goal was reminiscent of the opener. This time it was Mata, rather than Depay, cutting inside before playing the killer pass – and again, Rooney finished brilliantly.

It is typical of Rooney to respond to a goal drought with a sudden flood of goals, but he can legitimately claim he has not received this much service in his four previous appearances this season. As Van Gaal would be quick to recognise, the improved movement of his team-mates was the catalyst for United’s captain’s return to form.