United were forced to work hard for this win by well-organised opponents who defended stubbornly and frustrated the Reds until Ibrahimovic's second half strike broke the deadlock.
Chances were at a premium throughout the game and, aside from a shot from Rashford that crashed against the bar, United's dominance of possession brought them few chances. Mata in particular was given little space in which to operate while Ibrahimovic was frequently forced into deep positions. Some of the Swede's touches were sublime, however, and it always seemed likely that, should the Reds made a breakthrough, he would be involved.
It was the second half introduction of Rooney that brought the crucial goal in the 69th minutes. His arrival saw Mata move to the right and, for the first time in the match, the Spaniard broke free of the tight marking and, when the ball arrived in the box, it fell to Rooney. He snatched at the chance but his shot bounced towards the far post where Ibrahimovic was on hand to score with his head.
Zorya threatened occasionally on the break, on one occasion forcing a smart save from Romero, but United rarely looked troubled defensively. Many United supporters will point to the absence of Herrera in midfield as the reason for build-up play that was laboured at times and there was a sense that an injection of pace in the middle of the park might well have broken through the visitors' defensive set-up earlier.
Ultimately, though, the three points were in the bag and United are off the mark in the Europa League group stage.
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