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Manchester United returned to the Stadium that when
they last visited picked up ol big ears and after
another victory it has to be said the Reds stayed
well on course to progress in the later stages after
a professional & safe victory in Moscow on Wednesday
night.
Antonio
Valencia continuing to show the promise & indeed the
reason why SAF transferred him this summer, bagged a
goal to claim victory & struck the bar after an
excellent move.
With SAF
flexing the muscles of United's large squad, the
manager gave starting berths to Gary Neville, Fabio,
JOS in a holding midfield role, Scholes with
Anderson supporting Berbatov.
So the
tears of John Terry have dried up, Ronaldo has moved
to pastures new & the football wheel continues to
turn, but United look comfortable away from home in
Europe and a good bet to get far in the competition
again.
United in
a shaky start, could have easily blamed the
artificial pitch when Vidic got himself in a mess
and as Krasic's capitalised on his International
team mates slip up, his shot fly over the bar.
With
United's wide area's showing pace & power in Nani &
Valencia, that coupled with a quite excellent
European debut for Brazilian Fabio Da Silva, the
visitors looked the more likely team by a country
mile to open the scoring.
With a
long trip before the game against the bindippers on
Sunday, United rested many and could afford to keep
CSKA at arms length thus the comfortable pace of the
game.
United
keeping a close eye on Necid & Krasic who Fergie
identified as the main dangerman kept the Moscow
defence busy in the first 45 mins, as potential
future signing Igor Ikinfeev made saves from a poor
Anderson free kick, and shots from distance from
Paul Scholes & wait for it....Gary Neville.
SAF then
took no chances early in the second half when Rio
was replaced by Wes Brown with Sunday in mind, later
Nani who was showing brilliance & making Berbatov's
toes curl with ludicrous passes at the same time,
forced the Russian keeper into a world class save
after clever lay off from Gary Neville.
On a
night which in your reporters opinion Berbatov will
be slated by the "less educated on footballing
matters" type United fans, the Bulgarian genius was
booked for simulating under a tackle from Berezutski
and his poor poor supply continued to frustrate him
as he gestured almost each time a sloppy pass was
delivered his way.
United
continued to control the Russian side with SAF using
their max of his subs in Owen & Michael Carrick who
replaced the brilliant Fabio late on due to cramp.
The move
of the match came late before United's eventual
winner as in a sublime piece of build up play &
passing United cut Moscow in half but only to see
Valencia's powerful drive cannon off the bar.
Berbatov
still in a rage with his team mates crap supply then
finally got on the end of a decent ball from Nani
which he headed onto Valencia who on this occasion
finished with venom at the far post.
United
could have made it 2-0 with only minutes to go but
our goal shy Brazilian fulffed an excellent chance
when the ball fell to him in the CSKA penalty area.
With
Besiktas & Wolfsburg drawing a blank, United
possibly can sew up the group with two games spare
with a victory in the return leg, thus leaving
United with a fantastic & rare luxury of Hargreaves,
Welbeck, Owen Gibson, Macheda, Foster, Rafael &
anyone else for that who need match time giving some
deserved rest to some of the 1st team. |
Article by Mark Graham, Editor, Record Keeper & Official
Reporter @ MUFCINFO.COM.
Valencia (86 mins).
