Ryan Giggs used his head to claim a deserved 1-1 draw against Celtic in their clash at Parkhead. When Scott McDonald lit up the Parkhead sky with a fantastic goal after 13 minutes,lifting the ball over Ben Foster, stunned United. But the persistent attacking football from the Red Devils ensured a point to remain in control of Group E.
United made an explosive start with Ronaldo seeing a shot blocked by a mass of players after the ball broke kindly to him inside the area following a corner. The Portuguese winger then saw a 25-yard free-kick fizz just over Artur Boruc's crossbar. But the 13th-minute goal, coupled with some tireless defending, looked to have earned a victory for Celtic. Until Giggs struck six minutes from time, after Artur Boruc had failed to hold a Cristiano Ronaldo thunderbolt. A stooping header from Giggs rescued a hard-earned point in this Battle of Britain contest.
Sir Alex Ferguson has claimed that he want to progress in the next stage by winning the group. And he has every chance of doing it when United travel to Spain to face Villarreal in three weeks. BUt right now he is more focussed on Saturday's showdown with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
With not so much a battle as a mild swat, Manchester United contemptuously dismissed in their all-British encounter against Celtic with a 3-0 win at Old Trafford.
Two suspiciously offside-looking goals from Dimitar Berbatov - taking his Champions League tally to four - and a customary strike from Wayne Rooney, who now has nine in seven games for club and country were enough for killing Celtic as did not even make a fight of it.
The first goal came from a corner that Nani floated to the near post. At the second attempt, John O'Shea forced it on, and Berbatov, with his back to goal, flicked it past Artur Boruc. Just six minutes into the second half, Berbatov tapped home his second, profiting from a blistering Ronaldo free-kick that Boruc could not hold. Yet again, it seemed Berbatov was offside, but i feel it was compensated as the ref's assistant had earlier missed out on Rooney's goal when the England man raced onto Ronaldo's through ball and beat Boruc.
Berbatov was substituted by Carlos Tevez as he received a standing ovation, indicating that the fans love him. In his more rampaging moods, Rooney looks as though he could knock down a few walls and after another near miss, stroked home a deserved goal 15 minutes from time. It took his personal tally to nine in seven games and left Celtic facing a tough fight to claim a UEFA Cup berth as United continued their relentless march towards becoming the first side to retain this competition.
