United Avoid Giants With Draw

A rare Anderson goal ensured Manchester United progressed to the knockout stages of the Champions League last night.

The Brazilian’s equaliser cancelled out Pablo Hernandez’s first half strike for Valencia and means United qualify top of group C.

The English side will subsequently avoid some of Europe’s heavyweights in the next round of the competition, including Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

The only sour footnote was that Rio Ferdinand had to be replaced shortly after the restart and is now a doubt for his sides Premier League clash against Arsenal next Monday.

United were made to work for their share of the points despite coming up against a weakened Valencia side that included 8 changes from the team that lost to Madrid at the weekend.

The Spanish established an early dominance against a united midfield pairing of Michael Carrick and Anderson. Indeed it was Carrick who was dispossessed deep within his own half that lead to the first goal.

Jose Dominguez, who had enjoyed a lively start for the visitors, was gifted an opening when Carrick turned 360° before sloppily miss-cueing a short pass back to Ferdinand.

Dominguez took advantage of the England midfielder’s premature festive generosity taking the ball to the edge of United’s area and sliding a square ball onto the ensuing Pablo Hernandez.

Hernandez took one touch to steady himself before driving the ball through European debutant Ben Amos’ legs.

The goal came against the run of play and thirty seconds after a Wayne Rooney cross was met by a diving Ji Sung Park whose volley had the necessary power but not direction to guide the ball past Vicenti Guaita.

Rooney was centre to United’s most penetrable attacks and was denied only by the crossbar in the first half when he floated a dipping shot over a scrambling Guaita. A resurgent Rooney was also the architect of chances for Anderson and Dimitar Berbatov.

Firstly for the Brazilian who when one on one with Guaita in the first half hit a timid shot into the keeper when he had time to compose himself and then the Bulgarian, one usually renowned for close touches, took a heavy side-step that allowed the Valencia keeper to again prevent United a lead.

When United scored on the hour mark it failed to spark them into life and, as Rooney said afterwards, they looked to be hanging on for an important point. Berbatov headed wide from a Rooney cross and provider could have turned scorer with three decent efforts towards goal.

Given United’s profligacy a draw was a fair outcome but Ferguson’s will need to enforce the midfield and be clinical in front of goal if they are to make it to Wembley.