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14 September 2006, by Sean Gillen

United overcome Celtic in entertaining encounter

Manchester United 3-2 Celtic

Manchester United continued their winning start to the new season with a good attacking display to come from behind and beat Scottish champions Celtic at Old Trafford. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s winner early in the second half was enough to claim all three points in an entertaining encounter in Group F.

The star of the show for the home side, who were missing Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo through suspension, was without doubt Louis Saha, and the Frenchman added two more goals to his season tally to move him on to four in all competitions. Saha almost gave United the lead early on when his excellently worked header drifted just wide of the post.

United looked the more likely to find the opening goal, and it was Saha who again came closest to opening the scoring shortly afterwards, as the forward showed great technique to volley just over from the edge of the area.

Shock goal

However, Celtic surprised the home crowd by scoring first on 21 minutes. United defender Rio Ferdinand poorly dealt with a long ball, and Dutch forward Jan Vennegor of Hesselink turned and executed a clinical finish across Edwin van Der Sar and into the far corner.

The goal boosted Celtic’s confidence, and the Hoops gave a good account of themselves throughout the remainder of the first half, matching the home side.

United did equalise in somewhat controversial circumstances, as referee Lubos Michel awarded the home side a penalty after Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc made slight contact with Ryan Giggs as the Welshman chased a throughball. Louis Saha put down a marker as a candidate to replace Ruud van Nistelrooy as United’s new penalty taker, sidefooting the ball into the bottom left corner.

Saha got his second on 40 minutes when he latched onto a Paul Scholes throughball and slid in to push the ball past Boruc. Celtic hit back just three minutes later, however, with Japanese midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura curling in a 20-metre free-kick.

Solskjaer joy

If the first half was evenly matched, the second period was a far more one-sided affair, with United creating a host of chances. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer put the Red Devils back in front just three minutes in when he followed up a Louis Saha shot and tapped in from close range, the injury-plagued striker scoring his first goal at Old Trafford for three years.

Star man Saha went close with two great efforts, first firing wide from long distance, before a precise header was tipped away by the impressive Boruc. Rooney and Saha both had further chances to increase their team’s lead, but United ultimately had to settle for winning by the odd goal.

With Ronaldo back and available for selection, the Reds travel to Lisbon to play Benfica in Round Two, and both United and the winger will be looking to gain revenge for the painful way in which the Portuguese side dumped them out of the competition last season.

Manchester United:
van Der Sar, Neville, Silvestre, Brown, Ferdinand, Carrick, Scholes (O’Shea, 79), Fletcher, Giggs (Solskjaer, 32), Rooney (Richardson, 86), Saha
Yellow Cards: Silvestre (27)

Celtic:
Boruc, Wilson (Telfer, 51), Caldwell, McManus, Naylor, Lennon, Gravesen, Jarosik (Miller, 55), Nakamura, McGeady (Maloney, 69), Vennegor of Hesselink
Yellow Cards: Boruc (29), Miller (93)

Goals:
[0-1] Vennegor of Hesselink, 21
[1-1] Saha (pen), 30
[2-1] Saha, 40
[2-2] Nakamura, 43
[3-2] Solskjaer, 47