Portsmouth 1 United 4

A Wayne Rooney hat-trick, allied to Ryan Giggs' 100th Premier League goal, saw United edge a pulsating encounter with Portsmouth on a rain-sodden afternoon at Fratton Park.

Having taken the lead through Rooney's early penalty, the Reds had to overcome the concession of a baffling spot-kick for the home side, which Kevin-Prince Boateng converted. However, Rooney struck twice after the break, once in open play, once from the spot again, before Giggs struck a late free-kick to cap a superb personal display.

United were off-key for much of the first 45 minutes, with Pompey deservedly level despite the controversial nature of their goal, but after the interval the Reds ran amok, comfortably strolling to all three points in the teeming rain as Sir Alex Ferguson watched on from the shelter of the Fratton Park stands.

The United manager, serving out the first instalment of a two-game touchline ban, would have been delighted by the clinical second half display from his side which put paid to the hopes of a home side straining every sinew to impress new manager Avram Grant.

Pre-match, Sir Alex had warned that he would again be patching up his defence, with Rio Ferdinand, Jonny Evans, John O'Shea and Fabio all out injured. The absence of Edwin van der Sar, forced by a knee injury, also meant a rare start for Tomasz Kuszczak in goal, with Ben Foster occupying the substitute goalkeeper's role.

The game's first two chances came within seconds of one another. First Giggs slipped a low corner to the lurking Paul Scholes, whose 20-yard half-volley cleared the bar by just a yard, before Aruna Dindane escaped the United defence, only to be thwarted by a terrific close-range save from Kuszczak.

Source : Man Utd

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United 0 Besiktas 1

United and Wolfsburg will play for top spot in Group B next month after both sides lost on Wednesday night.

CSKA Moscow defeated the German champions in Russia while bottom-of-the-group Besiktas ended the Reds’ 24-game unbeaten home run in Europe with a scrappy 1-0 win at Old Trafford.

United were left feeling aggrieved after Patrice Evra was denied what looked a stonewall penalty on 85 minutes and Besiktas goalkeeper Rustu Recbera pulled off two stunning stoppage-time saves. But the Reds should have converted possession into at least one goal before then. In the end, Rodrigo Tello’s deflected strike proved decisive in a game that, until second-half injury time, was distinctly low on goalmouth drama.

Sir Alex made eight changes to the side that beat Everton and placed his faith in youth, handing starts to both Danny Welbeck and Federico Macheda. Gabriel Obertan started his first Champions League game, while Darron Gibson was paired with Anderson in the centre of midfield. There was also a rare start – this season, at least – for Ji-sung Park. The South Korea international has been plagued by knee trouble but made his first Reds appearance for two months.

It was Obertan on the opposite flank, however, who made the game's first meaningful impression. With barely a minute played, Anderson found the Frenchman in space and his low ball flashed across the penalty area. Five minutes later, Macheda teed up Welbeck on the penalty spot. Danny did well to shift the ball onto his left foot but dogged defending kept the score at 0-0.

Source : Man Utd

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United 3 Everton 0

United are back on Chelsea’s shoulder after midfielders Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick and Antonio Valencia engineered an easy 3-0 win over Everton.

It was the perfect response to two results at Stamford Bridge – the champions’ unjust defeat there a fortnight ago and Chelsea’s comprehensive home win over Wolves earlier in the day. The bonus of Arsenal’s loss at Steve Bruce’s Sunderland enabled the Reds to regain second place in the title race.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s line-up showed several changes to the side which dominated in West London. At the back, Rafael replaced John O’Shea on the right and fit-again Nemanja Vidic returned to the centre in place of the now-injured Jonny Evans. Further forward, the boss deployed an extra forward – Michael Owen, a boyhood Evertonian – at the expense of midfielder Anderson.

The Reds took the game by the scruff of the neck and pitched camp in Everton’s half, albeit without fashioning anything for ex-United goalkeeper Tim Howard to save until Ryan Giggs’ tame strike curled towards the bottom corner in the 15th minute.

Opposing full-backs on the South Stand flank caught the eye early on, with Rafael tucking into his tussles with Louis Saha and Marouane Fellaini and delivering a low ball into Everton’s six-yard box that just failed to find Wayne Rooney. Meanwhile, Toffees left-back Leighton Baines thwarted Antonio Valencia with a sturdy tackle at one end, and a cross at the other that resulted in van der Sar’s first save from Saha.

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Chelsea 1 United 0

United were excellent at Stamford Bridge, and Sir Alex Ferguson’s near-perfect game-plan only went unrewarded after the Reds conceded a goal from a highly dubious second-half free-kick, which led to Chelsea skipper John Terry’s winner.

The Reds had bossed possession for large periods of the game and looked the stronger, more confident side – with Darren Fletcher and Wayne Rooney both outstanding. United at least deserved a draw, but the overriding feeling is of injustice, made worse that the Reds slip to third and Chelsea boast a five-point lead at the top of the league.

Chelsea are formidable at Stamford Bridge, with a 100 per cent home record under Carlo Ancelotti this season and only one goal conceded. United also haven’t won in West London since April 2002, a record Sir Alex was keen to arrest. The opportunity was there to return to the league’s summit, and though most outsiders predicted the Reds would have no joy, Sir Alex had his men fired up to prove any doubters wrong.

But he would have to do it without either first-choice central defender, as troublesome calf problems kept Rio Ferdinand out and Nemanja Vidic on the bench. That meant a centre-half pairing of Wes Brown and Jonny Evans up against the pace and power of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka. They coped admirably with the task.

Source : Man Utd

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United 3 CSKA Moscow 3

As expected, United dramatically reached the knockout stages of the Champions League - but not without the mother of all frights.

Goals in the final six minutes from Paul Scholes and Antonio Valencia - albeit via a huge deflection - saved United from a first Champions League home defeat since February 2005, after CSKA Moscow had stunned Old Trafford by roaring into a 3-1 lead.

The Russians, who looked a team transformed from the sides' meeting in Moscow a fortnight ago, repeatedly took advantage of defensive generosity from the Reds, striking before the break through Alan Dzagoev and Milos Krasic. Michael Owen had briefly levelled in-between, but Vasili Berezutski struck early in the second half to seemingly put the game beyond United.

Inevitably, the Reds rallied late on, especially after the introduction of substitute Wayne Rooney and, after Scholes had headed home on 84 minutes, Valencia's 20-yard strike took a huge deflection off Georgi Schennikov and flew past the impressive Igor Akinfeev.

From the first whistle, the signs suggested United were in for a tough evening. An unfortunate ricochet threatened to deal the Reds' hopes a blow inside 20 seconds, as Dzagoev led a break of three visitors against two home defenders, but he could only fire over the bar from 20 yards. Two minutes later, Deividas Semberas chanced his arm from similar range, and his low drive skidded just past Edwin van der Sar's post.

Source : Man Utd

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