Manchester United 2-0 Reading
Saturday 19th January 2008
Reading
Second-half goals from Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo kept Manchester United at the top of the table.
With Reading's two backline stalwarts, Ibrahima Sonko and Andre Bikey on Africa Cup of Nations duty, Kalifa Cisse was charged with containing Cristiano Ronaldo.
Reading were made to defend for large parts, but they were a constant threat on the break with Leroy Lita and Kitson linking well and creating decent chances.
Fine work down the left from Lita set up Kitson who, with Van der Sar grounded, failed to get his shot off before Nemanja Vidic slid in to prevent the striker from shooting.
Ronaldo then jinked in from the right and crashed a left-foot shot low past the post, while the returning Owen Hargreaves forced a fine fingertip save from Marcus Hahnemann from a free-kick from 25 yards.
Ryan Giggs came on at the break and his introduction almost brought United the opener. The Welshman's corner was flapped at by Hahnemann and Cisse had to make a heroic hooked clearance off the line to deny Vidic.
United began to dominate and Reading were forced to rely on sporadic counter-attacks, although Kitson should have lofted his close-range shot over Van der Sar when clean through.
United's pressure soon told and with 13 minutes remaining, Rooney took his chance under the gaze of England boss Fabio Capello by superbly guiding Tevez's clipped pass into the bottom corner.
Three minutes into injury-time, as Reading surged forward for an unlikely leveller, Ronaldo broke up the attack and surged upfield before slotting in.
