Manchester United Drop More Champions League Points as Benfica Snatches Draw

An equalizing goal from Pablo Aimar in the 61st minute proved to be enough to secure a point for Benfica in their Champions League clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
Manchester United Drop More Champions League Points as Benfica Snatches Draw
Benfica goalkeeper Artur clears the ball during the UEFA Champions League Group C football match between Manchester United and Benfica at Old Trafford. (Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images)
11/23/2011
Updated:
11/24/2011
<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/ManU-Benfica133943804.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-146694"><img class="size-large wp-image-146694" title="Benfica goalkeeper Artur clears the ball" src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/ManU-Benfica133943804-659x450.jpg" alt="" width="590" height="402"/></a>

An equalizing goal from Pablo Aimar in the 61st minute proved to be enough to secure a point for Benfica in their Champions League clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford on Tuesday. The 2–2 draw puts Benfica in the driver’s seat to top the group.

Wayne Rooney had failed to recover fully from a knock received at Swansea on the weekend and so was out of the reckoning. The return of Nemanja Vidic to the heart of the United defense has resulted in five successive clean sheets following the debacle against Manchester City, but the United skipper was forced to sit this one out through suspension.

Ironically it was an own goal by Phil Jones, taking over from Vidic in that central defensive position, that gave the visitors a surprise lead with the game only three minutes old. In fairness to the young man, Nicolas Gaitan’s speculative cross took a slight deflection off the inside of Patrice Evra’s leg and that was what wrong footed Jones, who could really do nothing to prevent the ball cannoning off his thigh into the net.

There was not a single native Portuguese in the starting line-up for Benfica, but there was one playing for United. For the first half hour or so virtually all of the home side’s attacking threat originated with the Portuguese Nani.

The highlight was a sparkling run on 16 minutes that saw him go past five defenders before being hacked down by Ezequiel Garay. Nani took the ensuing free kick himself and did get it on target, but the shot lacked power and was too close to the keeper.

Five minutes later United’s best attack, which unusually involved several players rather than just Nani, ended with Ashley Young scuffing the final shot.

When United did finally draw level it, was Nani who was again the architect. His accurate cross found Dimitar Berbatov, and the Bulgarian’s glancing header sailed into the net to end the player’s three-year Champions League goal drought. It was Berbatov’s first goal in this competition since he scored against Celtic in October 2008.

United enjoyed the greater share of possession in the first period but looked disjointed for much of the time, unable to string many passes together, with all their best moments coming from the inspirational Nani. However, they started the second half much more purposefully and took the game to Benfica, getting in behind the defense with ease and finding positions deep inside their opponents’ penalty area.

It seemed only a matter off time before Benfica would crack under the pressure.

Patrice Evra was having a fine game, and surging forward down the left at regular intervals by this juncture. His perfectly weighted ball into the area was latched onto by Darren Fletcher powering through from midfield and United were a goal to the good after 59 minutes.

But United’s young defenders showed their inexperience by conceding in that danger period immediately following the goal. David De Gea attempted a long pass when he should have simply booted the ball clear. His effort was intercepted by Bruno Cesar whose cross was misjudged by Phil Jones, allowing Aimar to snatch the equalizer.

Berbatov should have doubled his tally and won it for the home side on 79 minutes when he contrived to volley over the top with no defender near him and only the goalkeeper to beat. United had one last chance deep into stoppage time when a glorious cross-field pass from Rio Ferdinand found Nani out on the right. Substitute Javier Hernandez got his head to the cross but the ball glanced off a defender to safety.

Points Dropped

United really should have won this one and probably would have if Vidic had been playing. It has to be said that every time Benfica went on the attack, the United defense appeared stretched.

Certainly De Gea did not have an awful lot to do throughout the game, but the fact is that the visitors managed to score twice. United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will not have been at all happy with the way either of the goals was conceded.

In the other game in this group, goals from Fabian Frei, Alexander Frei, and Marco Streller put Basel in the driving seat. Otelul Galati fought back gallantly to reduce the deficit to one but that was all they could muster, losing 3–2.

Benfica are now favorites to top the group with their final fixture being a home tie against group minnows Galati, whereas United have a perilous trip to Basel to look forward to, with the Swiss side just a single point adrift of the top two and everything to play for.