Man Utd 3-3 CSKA Moscow
Michael Owen celebrates his equaliser against CSKA Moscow
Tuesday, 03, Nov 2009 11:37
By James Christie
Manchester United have progressed to the knock-out stages of the Champions League with two games to spare after a deflected goal in stoppage time helped them salvage a 3-3 draw in their Group B clash with CSKA Moscow.
United were in serious danger of losing their first group-stage match at Old Trafford since October 2001, when some Fabien Barthez mistakes handed Deportivo an unexpected 3-2 win.
Edwin Van der Sar was the man between the sticks for United tonight and was well-aware that his opposite number, CSKA's Igor Akinfeev, has been mentioned as a possible replacement.
The pressure seemed to get to Van der Sar more than Akinfeev as the United goalkeeper was arguably partly responsible for two of the goals his side conceded while the Russian made some inspired saves and was unlucky to be beaten by a deflection near the end.
As United started the game with new father Wayne Rooney on the bench, Alex Ferguson opted to give a rare start to Michael Owen up front.
Owen wasted a couple of early chances to give United an early lead and his misses were punished after 25 minutes when 19-year-old Alan Dzagoyev fired home from a sharp angle to put the visitors a goal up.
But former Liverpool striker Owen levelled the score two minutes later when he reacted smartly to a cute Luis Nani backheel only for the Moscow team to edge ahead again on the half-hour mark when Milos Krasic despatched the ball high and hard into Van der Sar's net from close range.
A minute into the second half Federico Macheda failed to mark Vasili Berezutsky at a Moscow corner; 3-1 CSKA.
The industrious Darren Fletcher was perhaps unlucky a little later to be booked for diving in his opponents' penalty area. Was he fouled? Did he exaggerate his fall? Probably both.
Booing for the referee's decision gave way to loud cheers when gloved-up substitute Rooney came on to loud cheers and soon showed that fatherhood hasn't dulled his appetite for chasing the ball.
CSKA goalkeeper Akinfeev, singled out for praise in Ferguson's programme notes, also had the threat of Paul Scholes to deal with, and will have further enhanced his reputation after keeping out a fine free-kick from the midfield maestro.
An equally impressive double-save followed when Akinfeev parried an Owen header and smothered Rooney's frantic follow-up.
When he was finally beaten by a Macheda header, the post came to his rescue.
But United's dominance demanded a goal and it came six minutes from time when a Gary Neville free kick found its way into the CSKA net via the head of Paul Scholes.
Three minutes into injury team United snatched a last-gasp draw when Anthony Valencia's innocuous shot was deflected by Georgy Shchennikov.