Manchester United vs Rangers, 2003/04 UEFA Champions League, 2003 First Phase

· UEFA Champions League

Manchester United

6': Diego Forlán
44': Ruud van Nistelrooy
60': Ruud van Nistelrooy

FT
3 - 0

Rangers

About

Manchester United are hosting Rangers at Old Trafford, Manchester, England, starting on . The match is a part of the UEFA Champions League.

Match Commentary

0': Can you guess? Yes, that's right, it's the Battle of Britain #35472. Join us from 19.45 GMT to see if Rangers can get revenge at Old Trafford.
0': Rangers: 1-Stefan Klos; 15-Zurab Khizanishvili, 3-Craig Moore, 25-Henning Berg, 18-Michael Ball; 16-Paolo Vanoli, 27-Stephen Hughes, 23-Mikel Arteta, 26-Peter Lovenkrands; 10-Michael Mols, 7-Shota Arveladze.
0': Manchester United: 14-Tim Howard; 2-Gary Neville, 5-Rio Ferdinand, 27-Mikael Silvestre, 3-Phil Neville; 25-Quinton Fortune, 16-Roy Keane, 11-Ryan Giggs; 10-Ruud Van Nistelrooy, 21-Diego Forlan, 7-Cristiano Ronaldo.
0': United make two changes from the side that won at Ibrox. Paul Scholes is out injured, while John O'Shea drops to the bench as goal-king Diego Forlan and Cristiano Ronaldo are included...
0': Fernando Ricksen misses out for Rangers as Stephen Hughes gets the nod
1': Mols taps to Arveladze as Rangers, all in blue, kick-off...
1': Ferdinand beats Mols to a long ball down the Rangers left - and United play it around the back
2': Slip by Khizanishvili almost lets Forlan in but Klos is out to collect
3': Klos collects a Giggs cross at his feet after Forlan had done well to keep Ferdinand's long ball in play
4': United content to keep possession. Gary Neville hits long for Van Nistelrooy. Overhit and again Klos gathers
5': Ball cuts out Forlan's cross-field hit as Ronaldo looks to get his first meaningful touch
6': Now the young winger does get forward. Good defending from Moore though...
6': Keane picks it up though. A chip into the box, Ball heads half-clear for Forlan to lash home a brilliant volley from the far side. 1-0 United
6': Astonishing strike from the Uruguayan, Klos helpless and Rangers concede early again.
8': Berg has to head behind as Giggs bears down on the Gers area... The corner comes back to Ronaldo wide out before Van Nistelrooy rises to head narrowly over
9': Another Giggs burst, onto Ferdinand's long ball - United getting it forward quickly, but this time Khizanishvili does well wide out
10': Mols strays offside as Rangers look for some respite in a rare attack
12': Fortune pushes forward from left back Silvestre is brought down in midfield before the ball can go forward
13': Freekick goes long to Keane on the far side but Vanoli can win a throw for the SPL champions
14': First threat from Lovenkrands is brought to an end by Fortune's tug... Moore rises at the far post for the long freekick but Keane does enough to shield the ball
15': United break - Ronaldo steaming through the middle but Moore gets back well to dispossess him
16': United fans going through their repertoire as Ferdinand brings down Mols. Arteta takes on Ronaldo on the Gers left but overhits and Gary Neville is able to shepherd the ball out for a United goalkick
17': Mols, left side of the box, fails to control an excellent pass from Ball wide on the left. First hint of daylight for Rangers and that was a waste
19': Arteta robs Forlan as the goalscorer drops deep to collect
20': Now Forlan pulls Arveladze back in midfield. Mols is the target from the freekick but Ferdinand intervenes.
21': Hughes intercepts as Giggs looks for the return ball from Forlan inside the Rangers area
21': Phil Neville gets across to retrieve the ball after Silvestre gifts it to Lovenkrands. Keane breaks forward but Van Nistelrooy, borderline offside, has to check his run and the ball goes through to Klos
22': Speculative whack from Hughes flies high over the United goal. Howard as-yet untested
23': ..although the USA international does collect Lovenkrands' pass, intended for Mols
25': Ball is back to clear off the line after Keane's expert pass released Giggs into the box. Klos was beaten but there was little power on the Welshman's strike
26': Howard collects another overhit ball from Ball. It's a bit of a stroll for the home side
27': Ronaldo surges forward to win a throw on the United right
28': Vanoli intervenes as Giggs tries to thread one through to Van Nistelrooy - a bit too intricate from United there
29': Moore clears after Gary Neville's burst forward - not a great cross and Van Nistelrooy won't be breaking his 'drought' with that kind of service. He misses Becks
29': Khizanishvili looks for Mols but it's more meat-and-drink for goalkeeper Howard
30': Now Klos collects as Ronaldo looks for Forlan. Not a great deal of pace about this game right now - though that might please McLeish after the start his side made
31': Ronaldo slips as Giggs crosses after weaving inside and then oustide of the scurrying Khizanishvili
33': ARveladze cuts out Phil Neville's ball, intended for Keane's run to the byeline...
33': Rangers break but Hughes mis-hits horribly to the disgust of Lovenkrands, who was haring towards the edge of the box
34': Khizanishvili brings Giggs down wide out - around the spot from which Ronaldo scores at the weekend. The youngster takes again but this time Berg is there to hoof away
36': Arteta is strong in dispossessing Giggs, who gives away a freekick in frustration... Rangers take it quickly, Lovenkrands gets outside Fortune for the first time but Phil Neville is across to win the ball with a perfectly-timed challenge inside the box
37': Forlan's ball for Giggs is good but just too strong. Rangers break and win a corner
38': ...Played short and Forlan blocks before Ronaldo brings it clear
38': United surge forward through the Portuguese. Khizanishvili clears for Keane to drive at goal from long range - but Klos can fall to claim a disappointing shot
39': Howard juggles before taking Arveladze's flicked header at the second attempt. Good ball from Berg led up to that
40': Keane's getting a taste for it now - another blast from range, this one hit better but always rising over the bar
41': Gers get a freekick on their right
42': Arteta takes but Keane is back to head away. Forlan brings it clear. Ronaldo seizes on mix-up between Ball and Moore but rather scuffs his shot, straight at Klos
44': Forlan crashes a shot off the bar after Giggs' swipe at Ronaldo's cross - but to Rangers' disgust the ball ricochets off Van Nistelrooy's knees into the goal. 2-0 United, fortuitously
45': The Dutchman breaks his goalless streak in unconvincing fashion - not that he'll care that he could have been offside from Forlan's strike. But the flag stayed down and they all count, as they say.
45': Little stoppage time and United are in total command - 2-0 at the break
46': A slight delay courtesy of Ronaldo's jewellery, but United eventually restart... Early freekick for Rangers for a Silvestre foul...
47': Arteta takes - aimed at Mols on the far post but it's overhit
47': Van Nistelrooy turns Moore inside out and smacks his shot across the goalline. Klos was well positioned at his near post but Forlan was even better placed. Ruud looking hungry for goals, strangely enough
48': Now Klos into action again, hoofing clear after Khizanishvili brought down Gary Neville's cross inside the six-yard box
49': Now Phil Neville's lofts one over the top for Van Nistelrooy but again Khizanishvili intervenes
51': Silvestre brings down Mols, 25 yards out
51': To the right of goal. It's tapped to Ball and Silvestre has to clear behind as Howard parries a venomous drive
52': Great strike and Howard, possibly unsighted, was struggling there. United clear their lines from the corner though
54': That might spark the visitors though. Lovenkrands and Arveladze combine but Silvestre can volley clear from Khizanishvili's probing ball towards the box
55': Ferdinand is unconvincing with a clearance, again requiring Silvestre to tidy up. Rangers enjoying their first real passage of possession
56': Mols breaks onto Ball's long pass into the box. Howard gets it wrong in rushing for the ball but the Dutchman can't control it and Silvestre is back to shepherd it behind
57': Last contribution from Mols who is replaced by Capucho in the first substitution of the evening
58': Rangers win another freekick and it's take two for Ball - this time though he drives over the bar, albeit powerfully
59': A few step-overs from Ronaldo and it's a freekick at the other end
60': Giigs curls it in from the right and Van Nistelrooy is at the far post to half-volley in from point-blank range. 3-0 United
60': Great freekick from Giggs and Van Nistelrooy bags a second. Again, not one of his best but (again) he won't care
62': A shame, as Rangers were almost threatening to turn this game into a contest. Old Trafford (the vast proportion of it) is more than happy. Even better for them that Panathinaikos have taken the lead at home to Stuttgart
63': Meanwhile, Arteta fouls Gary Neville as United resume their domination of possession
64': Klos saves well - twice - from van Nistelrooy. First, a low block after Keane's ball into the box. Then a tip over the bar from an exquisite chip
65': Ronaldo's corner is overhit and the Gers breathe again
67': Arteta looks for Lovenkrands, but it's overhit. Goalkick
68': Two United changes as Forlan (to an ovation) and Giggs are replaced by Bellion and the returning Kleberson. Maurice Ross comes on for Moore, meanwhile
69': A bit of Ronaldo trickery has the home fans roaring in approval. Now the youngster sends in a screaming low cross - but no-one there for it
70': Keane and Kleberson combine to clear Ball's long throw into the box
71': Bellion goes on a burst but misdirects his final ball. Vanoli clears up
72': And the Italian is up at the other end to head wide from a Berg cross. A decent chance - they've been few and far between for Rangers
72': Arveladze takes aim after a dogged run at Ferdinand and Phil Neville - deflected for a corner
73': ...Taken by Arteta for Howard to punch clear
75': Pretty much snail's pace now - certainly in comparison with the first match at Ibrox.
76': Capucho goes down under a challenge, allowing United the chance to make their third substiution. Darren Fletcher on for Van Nistelrooy. Fergie resting his big guns ahead of the Liverpool clash at the weekend
78': And on cue - chants of 'Bring on the Scousers'. Bellion is tripped by Khizanishvili wide on the right
79': More ludicrous step-overs from Ronaldo... meanwhile Stuttgart have turned it around in Greece. They lead Panathinaikos 3-1
80': Kleberson harries Khizanishvili, drawing a freekick in the process. But United are committing nobody forward and it's keep-ball time
82': Sounds more interesting in Rome now with Chelsea going 4-0 up... Meanwhile, Chris Burke comes on for Vanoli to a rather unsporting chant from the home crowd, questioning the substitute's identity
84': Khizanishvili heads clear as Bellion chases a Fletcher ball down the wing
85': Ross goes in studs up on Keane. Freekick but the Irishman is kind enough to ask referee Collina whether the challenge was deserving of a booking. It wasn't
87': And Keane gets his little bit of revenge in chasing back to rob the Scot as he tries to combine with Burke down the inside right
88': Capucho drops deep but Kleberson steps in to win it too easily. United break but Ronaldo is beaten to the Brazilan's cross
89': Bellion's miscontrol brings to an end a minute-or-so of United passing. It's all very flat now, not that Rangers ever put up much of a fight this evening
90': Into injury-time and Lovenkrands fluffs a great chance after a Rangers raid down the United left
90': And that's that. Full-time and United complete a Battle of Britain double over Rangers. 3-0 the final score
90': Never much of a contest after Forlan's superb early opener. What battle Rangers did show was killed off by Van Nistelrooy's goal just before half time and United will be more than happy to have strolled the second half ahead of their clash with Liverpool
90': With Stuttgart winning at Panathiakos tonight, and United still to play the Germans at Old Trafford, Rangers will need a favour from the Red Devils if they want to go through

Game Information

Competition: UEFA Champions League

Venue: Old Trafford
Location: Manchester, England
Attendance: 66,707

Line-Ups

Manchester United

No.	Name
14	Tim Howard (GK)
2	Gary Neville
5	Rio Ferdinand
27	Mikaël Silvestre
3	Phil Neville
25	Quinton Fortune
7	Cristiano Ronaldo
16	Roy Keane
11	Ryan Giggs
21	Diego Forlán
10	Ruud van Nistelrooy

Manchester United Substitutes:

Roy Carroll, John O'Shea, Nicky Butt, Jose Kleberson, Eric Djemba-Djemba, Darren Fletcher, David Bellion.

Rangers

No.	Name
1	Stefan Klos (GK)
15	Zurab Khizanishvili
3	Craig Moore
25	Henning Berg
18	Michael Ball
16	Paolo Vanoli
23	Mikel Arteta
27	Stephen Hughes
7	Shota Arveladze
10	Michael Mols
26	Peter Lovenkrands

Rangers Substitutes:

Allan McGregor, Maurice Ross, Andrew Dowie, Moises Emerson, Chris Burke, Egil Ostenstad, Nuno Capucho.

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