Manchester United 2 v 1 Benfica
Old Trafford, Manchester
27th September 2005
Manchester United entered Old Trafford knowing that they desperately needed a win to knock them out of their winless streak, and at the same time, they knew that their form going into the game had been poor, and that they would be without numerous key players.
Mickael Silvestre was ruled out in a late fitness test, leaving the United back-four a makeshift line-up of youngster Bardsley, Rio, utility-man O'Shea and winger Kieran Richardson. All of them acquitted themselves well, although O'Shea had a few dodgy moments, one as soon as the 7th minute when he let the ball roll under his foot to give Miccolli a chance at goal.
Keane, Scholes and Fletcher played their part in midfield, whilst Park clearly didn't impress enough on Saturday so Giggs was in to replace the suspended Wayne Rooney, alongside Ruud and Ronaldo.
United looked far from at their sharpest, with Scholes having an uncanny knack of underplaying his passes throughout. It was United who smelt blood first however, with Van Nistelrooy swivelling and volleying onto the crossbar for what would have been his first goal scored from outside the box for United.
Ronaldo was a constant threat, and it was when he was scythed down on one of his solo-runs that United capitalised. Giggs' free-kick may have taken a defelection, but that didn't seem to bother him as the United players clambered on top of each other in the corner celebrating. The free-kick had struck SImao, and left the keeper with no chance.
On the hour mark United were cruising, and looking the more likely to take the second goal of the match, but that was turned on its head by another free-kick. Smith chopped Simao down on the edge of the box, and duly punished United from the free-kick, placing the ball with precision over the wall, and into the back of the net.
What could have become another frustrating night for United was finally lifted with six minutes to go when Ruud managed to get on the end of a corner which had been headed down by Ferdinand. Van Nistelrooy smashed home from all of a yard out, and United suddenly had somethign like good form to take into their Premiership must-win fixture on Saturday.
Man Utd: Van der Sar, Bardsley, Ferdinand, O'Shea, Richardson, Fletcher, Smith, Scholes, Ronaldo, van Nistelrooy, Giggs.
Subs Not Used: Howard, Park, Miller, Pique, Ebanks-Blake, Rossi, Martin.
