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Played
November 2, 2011 7:45 PM GMT
Old Trafford — Manchester
Referee: M. Strahonja
Attendance: 74847
November 2, 2011 7:45 PM GMT
Old Trafford — Manchester
Referee: M. Strahonja
Attendance: 74847
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| Manchester United | 0.00 | 1.08 | 1.00 | 1.08 | 1.08 | 1.03 | 1.08 | 1.10 |
| Draw | 0.00 | 9.50 | 71.00 | 10.00 | 9.00 | 16.00 | 11.00 | 8.50 |
| Otelul Galati | 0.00 | 26.00 | 81.00 | 34.00 | 27.00 | 150.00 | 40.00 | 20.00 |
Top of the Match
Phil Jones
Manchester United
Manchester United
Wayne Rooney
Manchester United
Manchester United
Flop of the Match
Silviu Ilie
Otelul Galati
Otelul Galati
Jonny Evans
Manchester United
Manchester United
Goal.com Rating 
Fans' Rating Manchester United 2-0 Otelul Galati: Deflected Wayne Rooney strike seals low-key victory as Red Devils move closer to qualification
Sir Alex Ferguson's side head to the top of Group C, after Antonio Valencia opens the scoring against the Romanian's, with Michael Owen picking up an early injury
By Steve Hewlett
Getty Images
An early goal from Antonio Valencia and a deflected Wayne Rooney effort gave Manchester United a hard earned 2-0 victory over Otelul Galati in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The three points leaves Sir Alex Ferguson's side top of Group C, level on points with Benfica, as Dorinel Munteanu's men proved a stern test for the Premier League champions at Old Trafford.
Starts for Michael Owen and Dimitar Berbatov meant Rooney was given a midfield role against the Romanian side, whilst Rio Ferdinand and Brazilian full-back Fabio also featured in the line-up.
The clash was United's first game at home since the 6-1 defeat to Manchester City, and the need to erase the memory of the derby day humiliation was noted by Sir Alex in the build-up to the match, and his side wasted little time in scoring the opening goal.
The hosts came out firing, with the visitors allowing Berbatov to trot forward and pass to the overlapping Phil Jones, who continued down the flank before crossing for Valencia to tap home from close range at the far post to open the scoring.
A rare appearance for Owen was abruptly curtailed when he came off after only 11 minutes to be replaced by Javier Hernandez, the move most likely being precautionary.
With the away side offering very little as an attacking force, Ferguson’s men didn’t need to up the tempo and intent, as they held possession well.
Hernandez had a couple of attempts but his only real chance on goal ended up well wide of Branko Grahovac’s net after half an hour. The stopper had to be alert shortly after when a marauding run from Fabio from inside his own half caught out the Otelul defence, with only an excellent sliding challenge from Cristian Sarghi preventing more danger.
It wasn't me | Hernandez failed to score but United go top of Group C thanks to 2-0 win
More good work from Jones could have brought the second goal, with the former Blackburn man playing a swift one-two with Berbatov, before continuing his run into the box and unleashing a rasping drive that was heading goalward until Sarghi’s header deflected the ball clear.
The visitors took hope from their defensive efforts and when a loose pass from Valencia allowed Ionut Neagu to bare down on goal, only a slight deflection from Ferdinand and a good save from David De Gea kept the hosts in the lead.
Jones continued to prove problematic for the visitors after the break. This time the full-backs sprint to link up with Hernandez on the edge of the box freed Berbatov in the area, but the Bulgarian’s run took the ball wide and closed any possible angle for a shot.
The threat from Jones didn’t diminish and a bounding run down the right flank shortly after nearly resulted in another chance for Chicharito, but the 19-year-old's hanging cross was too high for the Mexican.
The home side soon slipped back into their first-half possession play, seemingly unwilling to step up a gear and finish off their opponents.
United's one goal lead seemed likely to remain, until late in the game a long-range effort from Rooney deflected of Sarghi and left Grahovac with no chance of saving the shot to make it 2-0.
The scoreline may have been harsh on the visitors, but Manchester United now move into pole position in Group C.
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The three points leaves Sir Alex Ferguson's side top of Group C, level on points with Benfica, as Dorinel Munteanu's men proved a stern test for the Premier League champions at Old Trafford.
Starts for Michael Owen and Dimitar Berbatov meant Rooney was given a midfield role against the Romanian side, whilst Rio Ferdinand and Brazilian full-back Fabio also featured in the line-up.
The clash was United's first game at home since the 6-1 defeat to Manchester City, and the need to erase the memory of the derby day humiliation was noted by Sir Alex in the build-up to the match, and his side wasted little time in scoring the opening goal.
The hosts came out firing, with the visitors allowing Berbatov to trot forward and pass to the overlapping Phil Jones, who continued down the flank before crossing for Valencia to tap home from close range at the far post to open the scoring.
A rare appearance for Owen was abruptly curtailed when he came off after only 11 minutes to be replaced by Javier Hernandez, the move most likely being precautionary.
With the away side offering very little as an attacking force, Ferguson’s men didn’t need to up the tempo and intent, as they held possession well.
Hernandez had a couple of attempts but his only real chance on goal ended up well wide of Branko Grahovac’s net after half an hour. The stopper had to be alert shortly after when a marauding run from Fabio from inside his own half caught out the Otelul defence, with only an excellent sliding challenge from Cristian Sarghi preventing more danger.
It wasn't me | Hernandez failed to score but United go top of Group C thanks to 2-0 win
More good work from Jones could have brought the second goal, with the former Blackburn man playing a swift one-two with Berbatov, before continuing his run into the box and unleashing a rasping drive that was heading goalward until Sarghi’s header deflected the ball clear.
The visitors took hope from their defensive efforts and when a loose pass from Valencia allowed Ionut Neagu to bare down on goal, only a slight deflection from Ferdinand and a good save from David De Gea kept the hosts in the lead.
Jones continued to prove problematic for the visitors after the break. This time the full-backs sprint to link up with Hernandez on the edge of the box freed Berbatov in the area, but the Bulgarian’s run took the ball wide and closed any possible angle for a shot.
The threat from Jones didn’t diminish and a bounding run down the right flank shortly after nearly resulted in another chance for Chicharito, but the 19-year-old's hanging cross was too high for the Mexican.
The home side soon slipped back into their first-half possession play, seemingly unwilling to step up a gear and finish off their opponents.
United's one goal lead seemed likely to remain, until late in the game a long-range effort from Rooney deflected of Sarghi and left Grahovac with no chance of saving the shot to make it 2-0.
The scoreline may have been harsh on the visitors, but Manchester United now move into pole position in Group C.
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Match News
Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Lionel Messi
Striker Barcelona |
14 | 4 |
|
Mario Gomez
Striker Bayern Munich |
13 | 0 |
|
Cristiano Ronaldo
Striker Real Madrid |
10 | 2 |
|
Karim Benzema
Striker Real Madrid |
7 | 0 |
|
Didier Drogba
Striker Chelsea |
6 | 0 |
