Champions League - Young rescues draw for poor United

Ashley Young rescued a 3-3 draw for Manchester United against Basel after the English champions blew a 2-0 lead in a breathless Champions League Group C match at Old Trafford.

With four minutes of injury time signalled and United trailing 3-2 to the Swiss visitors, Young popped up unmarked at the back post to head home substitute Nani's cross and prevent United falling to only a third defeat at home in their 54 matches in the tournament.

Despite carving out a 2-0 lead at the break courtesy of Danny Welbeck's goals on 16 and 17 minutes, United were fortunate to escape with a point as Basel cut through Sir Alex Ferguson's side several times throughout the evening without putting the finishing touches to their good work.

Fabian Frei gave Basel fresh hope in the match when he drilled the ball beyond home keeper David De Gea via a post on 58 minutes before crossing for his namesake Alexander to head home a superb equaliser a couple of minutes later.

The Swiss champions moved ahead on the night when Alexander Frei sent De Gea the wrong way from the penalty spot after Antonio Valencia had clumsily clipped the imposing Marco Streller in the home box.

Basel seemed likely to hold out for a famous three points until Young converted his first goal in the Champions League to prevent the home side from falling to an embarrassing defeat.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson described the match as a "wake-up call" for his side having avoided falling to a first defeat in any competition since Chelsea left Old Trafford with a 2-1 victory in the Premier League 17 months ago.

Basel made their intentions clear from the opening moments with both of their full-backs encouraged to bomb on whenever possible. Fabian Frei should have netted on five minutes when he was sent clear in the box only to miss the target - a theme that was to haunt Basel's night.

United began warming to their task and grabbed the lead when Fabio - who was injured before hobbling off to be replaced by Nani in the second half - picked out Ryan Giggs, who supplied Welbeck to score with a shot that seemed to take forever to trundle into the net via a post.

United made it two a minute later when Giggs's ball into the heart of the Basel box enabled Welbeck to convert with a goal of some simplicity.

Despite the 2-0 lead, Ferguson's men never looked comfortable as Alexander Frei knocked wide of goal when he should have scored from Streller's pass before Jacques Zoua walloped the ball into the side of the United goal from another inventive Streller ball.

Play continued to rage from end to end with Phil Jones and Rio Ferdinand looking as if they had just met each other for the first time at the heart of the United defence. Ferdinand was fortunate to avoid a red card when he seemed to foul Alexander Frei on the edge of his box as the Swiss forward looked set to speed in on goal moments after Basel had made it 2-1.

Alexander Frei headed over the bar on 35 minutes before Valencia forced the visiting goalkeeper Yann Sommer to make a timely stop before half-time sounded with United leading.

Somehow United's goal remained intact on 50 minutes as Streller accepted a pass from Zoua. He looked certain to score only for De Gea to make an astonishing stop from close range.

Giggs had the opportunity to give United a 3-0 lead when he shot straight at Sommer with Welbeck waiting for a tap-in on 52 minutes.

Basel struck their first of the night courtesy of Fabian Frei after De Gea had blocked Streller's powerful header from Alexander Frei's corner. It prompted a final 30 minutes of some mayhem that left Ferguson smiling with a sense relief at full-time.

In keeping with the almost farcical nature of a frantic closing few minutes, De Gea was relieved to see a clearance from Aleksandar Dragovic from inside the Basel half miss his right-hand post by inches as he struggled to get back after Welbeck saw a header fly narrowly wide at the other end.

Basel and Benfica - who won 1-0 at Otelul Galati - lead Group C on four points after two games with United back in third spot on two points. Galati are bottom after two defeats.

Premier League - United prevail in classic encounter

Manchester United assumed control of the Premier League when maintaining their 100 per cent record with a 3-1 win over Chelsea in a game for which the phrase 'action-packed' would do a huge disservice.

Throughout a thrilling, and often quite crazy 90 minutes at Old Trafford, both Chelsea and United were utterly committed to attack and the millions watching around the globe were rewarded with a quite brilliant denouement to a beguiling weekend in the Premier League.

Chris Smalling and Nani put United 2-0 in front after 37 minutes, though both had been offside, and Wayne Rooney continued his prolific form with a third just before half-time as United raced into a comprehensive lead that was ill-deserved given the weight of chances enjoyed by Andre Villas-Boas's side.

Fernando Torres replied within 30 seconds of the restart for only his second goal in 24 games for Chelsea but his recent issues resurfaced as he was then guilty of producing arguably one of the worst misses in the long history of the Premier League after rounding David De Gea.

Rooney could have had his third hat-trick in three games as he missed a penalty and then struck the post, with Ashley Cole collecting a yellow card but not conceding a penalty when thumping into Javier Hernandez as he drilled the rebound into the side netting. Referee Phil Dowd apparently felt the ball was out of play before the offence occurred.

As Chelsea created chance after chance to no avail, United still had time to pass up another golden opportunity as, with Petr Cech taken out by Rooney's square pass, substitute Dimitar Berbatov somehow failed to make it four when allowing Cole to clear off the line.

United were denied a fourth, but Manchester City's draw with Fulham means the Reds are now are the out-and-out leaders of the Premier League.

Sir Alex Ferguson's men did not enjoy the complete dominance that has accompanied their previous victories in the league this season but still proved ruthless in a first half in which they scored three times without reply.

It was Smalling who put them in front after only eight minutes. Jose Bosingwa conceded a free-kick on the United right and Ashley Young's delivery was met at the back post by Smalling, who had eluded his marker to plant a firm header past Cech. Replays confirmed the suspicion that he was in an offside position when the ball was delivered though.

Incredibly, in a half during which United ran rampant, it was Chelsea who created the better chances. Ramires had called De Gea into a smart stop with his right boot after only four minutes and the Brazilian then passed up an almost certain goal when placing the ball into the chest of the Spanish keeper after Torres had unselfishly squared to present him with what was to all intents and purposes an open goal.

The Spaniard approached the game with a record of one goal in 23 for Chelsea and in that context his decision to square for Ramires was a surprising one. When presented with his own chance after an awful pass from Anderson gifted him possession, the striker scuffed a shot just wide of the far post.

Raul Meireles also played in Frank Lampard with a delightful pass, only for the midfielder to smash a shot wide, and Branislav Ivanovic also forced De Gea into a save with a header for a corner. But while Chelsea looked a threat in the final third, they remained vulnerable at the back.

Nani was so often the catalyst and created excellent chances for both Javier Hernandez and Rooney before scoring United's second himself with a strike of real beauty. He appeared offside when collecting a brilliant cross-field pass from Jonny Evans, but meandered infield and unleashed a brutal shot into the top corner from 20 yards.

On the stroke of half-time Chelsea somehow found themselves 3-0 down when Rooney claimed his ninth Premier League goal in five games. Phil Jones played an important role as he exchanged passes with the striker before then sticking in his leg as the ball bounced around the Chelsea box. After deflecting off Nani and rolling into the path of Rooney, it was dispatched in inevitable fashion by a striker at the very top of his game.

Villas-Boas responded by replacing Lampard with Nicolas Anelka at the break and the Frenchman made an immediate impact. Just 30 after the restart he released Torres with a lovely reverse pass and the Spaniard claimed only his second goal for Chelsea with a delightful lofted finish over De Gea in a moment that recalled some of his better moments for Liverpool, rather than the mediocrity that has enveloped him since January.

But United did not look ready to capitulate and on 55 minutes Nani again wreaked havoc. The Portugal winger slammed a shot off the underside of the bar and when attempting to score from the rebound was brought down by a clumsy challenge from Bosingwa.

United had the penalty, and Rooney had the chance to move onto 10 Premier League games well before the end of September. However, with Terry looking on, he emulated the Chelsea captain's spot-kick in Moscow in the Champions League final of 2008 when slipping and sending the ball wide.

The Blues had improved after Villas-Boas removed Lampard and instructed Mata to play in behind Torres, with another substitute in Romelu Lukaku seeing an effort blocked by Patrice Evra following a short corner after 70 minutes.

Soon after, Torres forced De Gea into a sprawling save with a low effort before latching onto the rebound and firing a volley high into the stands. Chelsea and United's commitment to attack made for a fantastic encounter and on 77 minutes the home side went close once more.

Rooney saw a scuffed effort from an Evra cross bounce of the base of the post and when Hernandez rifled the rebound into the side netting he was caught by a shocking challenge from Cole. The left-back was booked, and was perhaps lucky to escape a red card, but no penalty was given as the ball was already out of play when the offence occurred.

Still the drama continued. On 84 minutes, Torres ensured that despite scoring his second goal for the club he will remember this match for the wrong reasons when producing one of the most glaring misses surely seen in the top flight. After a superb off-the-ball run, the striker rounded De Gea and had an empty net to tap into, but on his left foot somehow skewed the ball wide. It was painful to watch, especially for a player who has struggled so badly to live up to expectations following his £50 million move.

In injury time United could have added a fourth when Rooney raced clear and cut out Cech with a square pass to Dimitar Berbatov, but the sliding substitute produced a weak effort that allowed Cole to scramble across and clear off the line as the game concluded in frantic fashion. It was that type of match.

LONDON - Pengurus Manchester United, Alex Ferguson mula membandingkan penyerang sensasinya, Wayne Rooney dengan legenda Brazil, Pele.

Kenyataan Ferguson itu hadir selepas dia melihat prestasi cemerlang Rooney yang meledak hatrik ketika menentang Arsenal dan Bolton Wanderers pada aksi Liga Perdana England.

"Jika melihat Pele (beraksi), dia merupakan penyerang agresif, Wayne juga begitu. Persamaan mereka adalah kekuatan, pantas dan semangat. Bezanya, dia (Rooney) berkulit putih sahaja," kata Ferguson.

Sebelum ini, ada peminat yang menggelar Rooney sebagai Pele Putih disebabkan karakter yang ditampilkannya ketika berada di tengah padang.

Ferguson menambah, Rooney sentiasa bersemangat, sentiasa mahukan kemenangan dan tidak mustahil ayam tambatannya itu mampu menjadi legenda United suatu hari nanti.

"Wayne seorang pemain yang tipikal, tetapi terdapat ramai pemain Britain yang mempunyai kualiti itu seperti Paul Gascoigne, George Best, Bobby Charlton dan Denis Law.

"Dia mempunyai keberanian seperti mereka. Dia sentiasa mahu beraksi, malah dia mempunyai stamina yang menakjubkan sesuai dengan bakatnya," jelasnya.

Ferguson juga meramalkan Rooney dan seorang lagi penyerang United, Javier Hernandez masing-masing mampu meledak 25 gol musim ini.

Kedua-dua penggempur berbisa itu telah menyumbang 10 gol buat United pada awal kempen musim ini di mana Rooney kini mendahului penjaring terbanyak liga dengan lapan gol.

"Dua tahun yang lalu, sasaran Wayne adalah untuk menjaringkan lebih 30 gol dan dia telah mencapai sasaran tersebut dengan begitu cepat.

"Jika dia dapat mencapai sasaran itu sekali lagi, saya akan cukup berbangga kerana dengan keupayaan Javier, mereka mampu menjaringkan lebih 25 gol musim ini," tambah Ferguson. - Agensi

Champions League - Giggs rescues point for United

Ryan Giggs salvaged a point in a 1-1 draw with Benfica as Manchester United kicked off their Champions League Group C campaign at the Estadio da Luz.

Oscar Cardozo's brilliant first-half effort had given the Portuguese side a deserved lead in Lisbon but Giggs hit back with an equally impressive strike just before half-time.

Giggs's goal - which extended his own record as the oldest scorer in the Champions League - was the undoubted highlight of an otherwise lacklustre performance from the Premier League champions, although points dropped at Benfica in a group also containing FC Basel and Otelul Galati should not give Alex Ferguson too many sleepless nights.

Ferguson made eight changes to the team that thumped Bolton 5-0 in the Premier League at the weekend as the United manager opted against sending out the new-look team that has so impressed this season and instead reverted back to an XI far more resembling the one which reached last year's final.

Seven players who started that game at Wembley took to the field in Lisbon, as Antonio Valencia and Darren Fletcher returned from injury and illness to make their first starts of the season. Goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard was also brought in, with summer signing David De Gea taking his place on strong bench alongside Michael Owen, Anderson, Dimitar Berbatov, Javier Hernandez, Nani.

With Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic both out injured, Chris Smalling partnered Jonny Evans in the middle of defence with Fabio returning to the right-back berth.

Yet the changes in personnel did little for the Premier League champions and they started the game without the fluency to their play that has so far this season been their calling card.

Michael Carrick and Fletcher struggled to get a grip in midfield and with Wayne Rooney an isolated figure up front, Benfica enjoyed the better of the opening stages.

Nicolas Gaitan flashed a shot across Lindegaard's goal and the Dane was brought into action by Cardozo before the Paraguayan striker opened the scoring with a sumptuous piece of individual skill in the 24th minute.

Cardozo took down a long ball forward on his chest before turning the leaden-footed Evans in one swift movement and firing low past Lindegaard. It was the first time United had conceded on their travels in the competition since a quarter-final against Bayern Munuch two seasons ago, but it was nothing less than the home side deserved.

Evans continued to look shaky on occasion as Benfica threatened to add to their lead as the half progressed but United clawed their way back onto level terms, totally out of blue, thanks to Giggs just before the break.

The veteran midfielder, otherwise rather ineffectual in the hole behind Rooney, seared in from the right before lashing a left-footed drive into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area. At the age of 37 years and 289 days he is the oldest player to have scored in the competition and the goal also saw him overtake Raul as the player to have scored in the most Champions League seasons - 16 in all.

He could have added to his tally on 63 minutes following some neat footwork to fashion a shooting chance but his clipped effort was diverted around the post by Artur.

At the other end, Lindegaard was also in action after the break, the Dane producing crucial stops to deny Nolito and then the impressive Nicolas Gaitin.

In between those chances, Emerson nearly capped a fine one-two with Nolito with a shot on target - he could only fire into the side netting - and with three minutes remaining on the clock, Nolito prodded into the side netting when perhaps he should have done better.

United, meanwhile, failed to produce much of note at the other end and will perhaps feel fortunate to escape with a point after what was an under-par performance, given the sky-high standards they have set for themselves so far this season.

Scholes cannot be replaced - Giggs
Ryan Giggs wishes his old mate Paul Scholes had not quit in the summer - because he knows Manchester United will never find another like him.

In the aftermath of last season's Champions League final defeat to Barcelona, Scholes decided he was no longer contributing to the United cause in a manner he felt was appropriate.

Most of his team-mates disagreed, Giggs among them, and Sir Alex Ferguson embarked on a fruitless search for a replacement playmaker who could take on the responsibility Scholes carried for so long.

Giggs felt it was almost a pointless search. He knows someone of Scholes' ability simply cannot be replaced.

Speaking exclusively to MUTV, Giggs said: "Will you get another Paul Scholes? No. Never. Not in a million years.

"Getting someone in like for like is impossible. But the club has to go on. We have to evolve. That is the Manchester United way."

Resipi terbaik MU
BOLTON: Alex Ferguson percaya Manchester United memiliki resipi terbaik untuk terus mengungguli puncak Liga Perdana Inggeris berdasarkan kecemerlangan mereka mengharungi kempen awal musim yang cukup mencabar.

Juara bertahan itu sudah menumpaskan Tottenham dan Arsenal sebelum menang besar 5-0 ke atas Bolton untuk mendahului pencabar utama Manchester City yang berdepan Swansea, Bolton, Tottenham dan Wigan setakat ini.

United sehingga kini mengumpul 18 gol dalam empat perlawanan awal liga dan Wayne Rooney meledak hatrik kedua berturut-turut selain Javier Hernandez menyumbat dua gol untuk meletakkan kelab itu mendahului liga menerusi kelebihan jaringan.

Ini bermakna anak buah Ferguson berada pada tahap terbaik untuk bertemu Chelsea di gelanggang lawan dan pengurus di Old Trafford itu sedar kemenangan ke atas pasukan kendalian Andre Villas-Boas akan menyuntik semangat United bagi mengharungi saingan musim luruh di peringkat domestik dan Eropah.

“Anda hanya perlu memberikan tumpuan terhadap diri sendiri,” kata Ferguson.

“Permulaan musim ini amat sukar kerana kami terpaksa berdepan pasukan-pasukan hebat. Kami akan menentang Chelsea Ahad ini. Ia permulaan yang sukar dan jika berjaya mengharunginya, pastinya kami bermain dengan baik.” Kombinasi pemain berpengalaman dan baru di samping bintang Rooney serta Hernandez dan pemain baru Phil Jones nyata terus menjadi. Ferguson membariskan pemain terkuat berbanding ketika membelasah Arsenal di Old Trafford pada perlawanan terakhir sebelum saingan liga berehat bagi memberi laluan kepada perlawanan antarabangsa.

Pemain Mexico, Hernandez kembali bergandingan bersama Rooney mengambil alih tempat Danny Welbeck manakala Rio Ferdinand menggantikan Chris Smalling di bahagian pertahanan tengah.

Perancang kepada kemenangan kali ini selain Rooney sudah pastinya Nani. Dia mencipta tiga peluang manakala dua lagi menerusi Jones buat Rooney dan Hernandez menjaringkan gol. - AFP

BOLTON - Alex Ferguson yakin Manchester United berhak memegang status selaku pendahulu Liga Perdana England kerana skuad kendaliannya telah melalui perlawanan yang sukar pada awal kempen musim ini.

Juara bertahan itu berjaya menewaskan Tottenham Hotspur dan Arsenal sebelum menang 5-0 ke atas Bolton Wanderers kelmarin.

Kemenangan itu turut membolehkan skuad The Red Devils mendahului jiran setempat, Manchester City yang menewaskan Swansea City, Bolton Wanderers, Tottenham dan Wigan Athletic.

Selepas empat perlawanan, United dan City berkongsi 12 mata, tetapi kedua-dua pasukan itu dibezakan dengan kelebihan jaringan.

United juga telah mengumpul 18 gol daripada empat perlawanan pertama dan jaringan hatrik kedua berturut-turut dari Wayne Rooney serta dua gol daripada Javier Hernandez menyaksikan mereka mengungguli kedudukan teratas.

Ini bermakna skuad kendalian Ferguson itu akan turun menentang Chelsea di Old Trafford dengan kelebihan psikologi pada 18 September ini.

Pengurus The Red Devils itu sedar kemenangan ke atas anak buah Andre Villas-Boas tersebut mampu mengukuhkan reputasi mereka dalam saingan liga domestik dan di pentas Eropah.

"Kamu hanya perlu memberi tumpuan kepada pasukan kamu sendiri," kata Ferguson.

"Ia adalah satu permulaan yang sukar pada awal musim, kami terpaksa berdepan semua pasukan yang hebat. Ahad ini kami bertemu Chelsea pula.

"Ia satu jadual yang padat dan kalau kami berjaya mengharunginya, kami telah melakukannya dengan baik." - AFP

Premier League - Cleverley ruled out for four weeks

 

Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley is out for four weeks after suffering ligament damage in his foot against Bolton.

United had feared that the England U21 star would be out for months with a broken bone following a challenge from Kevin Davies in the 5-0 drubbing of Bolton.

The 22-year-old will miss England's Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro next month but should be available for November's matches, when national team manager Capello has pencilled him in to make his debut.

Providing England have collected the point against Montenegro they need to book a place at the finals, Capello has said he plans to blood Cleverley and Phil Jones in a November friendly which is expected to be against Spain.

Meanwhile Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who condemned Davies's tackle, confirmed that Jonny Evans and Patrice Evans are doubtful for Wednesday's Champions League clash with Benfica in Lisbon.