Manchester United vs Rangers, 2010-11 UEFA Champions League, 2010 First Phase

· UEFA Champions League

FT
0 - 0

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':
Walter Smith had a brief spell as Sir Alex Ferguson's assistant in 2004.
0': The Champions League returns at 1945 BST and we will be bringing you live commentary from Old Trafford as Rangers make the trip to take on Manchester United. Don't miss the predictably named 'Battle of Britain'.
0': The teams are in and there are few shock selections in the Man United side: Kuszczak, Brown, Ferdinand, Smalling, Fabio Da Silva, Valencia, Fletcher, Gibson, Park, Rooney, Hernandez. Subs: Van der Sar, Owen, Anderson, Giggs, O'Shea, Jonathan Evans, Macheda.
0': Fergie makes ten changes from the weekend. Rio and Rooney return and Chris Smalling is handed his full debut. A sign that Man Utd's wily manager clearly doesn't think much of his opponents this evening.
0': Rangers boss Walter Smith made the following selection: McGregor, Broadfoot, Weir, Bougherra, Papac, Whittaker, Davis, McCulloch, Edu, Naismith, Miller. Subs: Alexander, Lafferty, Foster, Beattie, Weiss, Little, Hutton
0': Not far off a Carling Cup side from Fergie. I'm sure the Rangers team are in the dressing room thinking they can get a result.
0': Fergie says he has made all the changes because the team he picked on Saturday threw away a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 at Everton and that made him think.
0': Rio Ferdinand leads the United team out of the tunnel at Old Trafford. Wayne Rooney returns from his enforced sojourn and will be raring to go.
0': The Champions League anthem blares around the stadium and we are only moments away from kick-off.
0': 40-year-old Rangers centre-back David Weir swaps pendants with Ferdinand in the centre-circle and all the pleasantries are over.
1': United get the game under way, kicking from left to right, wearing their normal home kit. Rangers are in all blue.
2': Broadfoot gives away the first freekick of the match for a foul on Wes Brown.
3': Rooney pounces on a loose pass and runs into Davis. The United striker goes down looking for a freekick near the box but the ref waves play on.
4': Rangers have ten men behind the ball with Miller up top on his own. United have had most of the possession but can't find any holes in the Rangers back line.
5': Valencia takes on two Rangers players in his own box and calmly brings the ball clear as the crowd shout for him to hoof it down the line. Risky, but well played.
6': Park opts against a shot from the edge of the box and chips a pass over the Rangers defence. No United player had read Park's intention.
7': Smalling tackles Miller on the half-way line. The ref gives a soft freekick and the Rangers defence have a chance to take a breather.
8': Miller loses possession after a nifty move through midfield. Nice combination from Edu and Davis.
9': Brown is penalised for a high foot on Naismith. Rnagers have a the chance to get the ball in the box from a freekick....
10': ..Davis takes it but his cross goes straight to Kuszcak in goal.
11': Fabio drives down the left. Hernandez gets his head to the defenders cross but his effort drops just wide.
12': Tottenham have taken a 1-0 lead at Werder Bremen through an own goal.
13': Valencia raids down the right. His cross is cleared, but United just win the ball back and attack again.
14': Not seen much from Rooney yet. He is up against Bougherra, who kept the striker very quiet during the England v Algeria game at the World Cup this summer.
15': Bougherra goes on the attack and wins a throw deep in United territory.
16': Papac and Naismith probe the United defence but neither kind find a way through.
17': Naismith has a problem and Park kicks the ball out so the Rangers midfielder can get some treatment.
18': Peter Crouch has given Tottenham a 2-0 lead at Werder Bremen.
19': Naismith is off the pitch clutching his shoulder but the game is back underway. Fletcher crosses but Weir heads clear.
20': Plenty of possession for United but no penetration. Once again a hopeful cross is launched into the area. Hernandez knocks it down but a swarm of blue shirts snuff out the danger.
21': Hernandez knocks the ball down to Rooney, who races towards goal. The striker attempts to return the ball to his partner but the pass is woeful and Weir cuts it out.
22': Gibson and Fabio interchange on the left flank. Fabio crosses but his delivery is far too long and the ball goes out for a goalkick.
23': Naismith is back on and is fouled by Hernandez.
24': Rangers are getting the ball to Edu as much as possible but he is drifting wider and wider and just can't get the better of the United defence.
25': Another cross from Fabio. Another attack wasted by United.
26': It's raining crosses in the Rangers area but all come to nought.
28': Rangers are more than happy to let United have possession but they have packed the centre of defence and there is no way through for United.
30': Rooney breaks relatively quickly but his chip over the defence is cut out.
31': Brown and Broadfoot collide as they challenge for the ball. Broadfoot comes off worse and wins a freekick out of sympathy from the ref.
32': Edu gives the ball away but chases down Brown to win the ball back. Good work from the midfielder.
33': Gibson finds space about 25-yards out and fires off a trademark shot. His low effort goes just wide of the post but Gers keeper McGregor looked worried.
34': The ref plays an unintentional one-two with Hernandez. Luckily for the official Rangers are even preprared to defend against that.
35': Fabio uses his pace to beat two players on the wing. Papac stretches to make a good tackle on the edge of the box.
36': Hernandez tees-up Gibson for another long-range strike but the midfielder's effort is straight at McGregor.
37': Fletcher and Rooney combine. The striker turns in midfield and hits a long-range effort that dribbles through to the goalkeeper.
38': United appear to have given up on crosses and have switched to taking pot shots on goal from distance.
39': Another United attack flounders on the rock that is Rangers' defence.
40': Bougherra pushes forward to augment a Rangers attack but when the Scottish side lose the ball United are too slow on the counter to take advantage.
41': Rooney has gone over on his left ankle and is limping.
42': Gibson hits a free-kick into the Rangers wall.
43': McGregor is booked for time wasting over a goalkick.
44': Yellow card aside, Rangers will be very happy that they have frustrated United thus far.
45': Champions League debutant Smalling has not had too much defending to do but what he has needed to do he has done well. The first-half ends as he tackles Naismith.
45': Well Rangers manager Walter smith will be delighted with the 0-0 scoreline. His side have soaked up everything United have thrown at them and have rarely been troubled whilst doing so.
45': United boss Ferguson must already be thinking about making a change. The players he has on the pitch seem incapable of unlocking the Rangers defence and United need more guile in the centre of midfield.
45': Over in Tottenham's game Hugo Almeida has pulled a goal back for Werder Bremen to make it 2-1 at half-time.
45': Stat Attack: Rangers did not manage a single shot during the first half
46': Rangers get the second-half underway but it is United who are quickly in possession of the ball.
47': Bougherra heads a cross from Valencia clear. But the ball drops to Gibson, who volleys in a shot that drops just over the bar and draws gasps from the Old Trafford crowd.
48': Werder Bremen have equalised against Tottenham. Marin makes it 2-2.
49': Broadfoot calmly clears and launches a Rangers attack. But Fletcher is quick to close down and tackle Naismith.
50': Valencia and Brown combine down the right flank but once the ball comes inside there are just too many Rangers defenders to get past.
51': Fletcher has a great chance to play throughball to Rooney but he pass is very sloppy and easily cut out.
52': Rangers race down the other end. Papac gets his toe to a low cross but can only divert the ball straight at the United goalkeeper.
53': That was Ranger's first shot of the match.
54': Park cuts inside and fires a pass into Hernandez on the edge of the box, but Bougherra sees it coming and makes a good interception.
55': Rooney beats a man and then combines with Park in the Rangers' penalty area. Park opts to loft a cross to the back post but McGregor plucks the ball out of the air.
56': There seems to be a few cracks appearing in Rangers' defensive wall now...
57': Valencia goes down under a challenge and it looks bad. His leg is at an odd angle.
58': Rangers defender Broadfoot, the man who made a legitimate tackle, looks distraught.
60': It looks like a broken ankle for Valencia and he'll obviously take no further part in the game.
62': He is being carried off on a stretcher and is applauded by both sets of fans.
63': Ryan Giggs comes on to replace Valencia.
64': Davis holds off a challenge in midfield and sets Miller on the attack. He has no support and eventually hits a hopeful shot in the box.
65': Rooney is fouled as he skirts the edge of the box but the ref waves play on. Rooney is furious.
66': Rooney is beginning to see a lot of the ball now but his short passing is a bit off. His intention is right but his application is a little off the pace.
67': Broadfoot dwells too long on the ball in the Man United box and Park makes a good tackle.
68': United are mixing up, going wide and then through the middle but still no joy.
69': Giggs beats his man on the left and chips in a cross. Rooney leaps but can't direct his header on goal. United are getting closer and closer now.
70': Rangers launch a counter-attack. Broadfoot takes a tumble on the edge of the box under pressure from Smalling but the ref waves play on.
71': It was the right decision from the match official.
72': Hernandez is miles clear of the Rangers defence but the flag is up for offside.
73': Fletcher makes a great pass to left flank for Fabio to race onto, but the left-back's cross is not a good one.
74': That is Fabio's last contribution as he is replaced by Jonny Evans.
75': Park's match is also over as he is replaced by Michael Owen.
76': Broadfoot sets up McCullock for a long-range shot. The midfielder's shot is half blocked and the ball loops into the hands of Kusczak.
77': Rangers are enjoying their best period of the game but are reluctant to commit men forward.
78': Flecther twists and tunrs in the box trying to make space for a shot but there are three blue shirts blocking his way.
79': Miller goes off for Rangers and is replaced by Lafferty.
80': It's getting a bit desperate from United now.
81': Gibson eyes up another long-range strike and this effort is just inches over the bar.
82': Edu fouls Smalling and United are given a cheap freekick as they were struggling to get the ball clear.
83': Gibson has another shot. This time it is deflected behind for a corner.
84': Hernandez delivers a great cross to the back post but the linemans judges the ball had gone out first. It hadn't.
85': United are camped in the Rangers half but still no joy.
86': Giggs loses the ball and Davis goes on the attack. It's three on three but Papac tkaes too long to decide what to do and the chance goes begging.
88': There will surely be plenty of extra-time following the injury delay for Valencia.
89': Another shot from Gibson. This one hits McCulloch in the face and goes out for a corner.
90': There will be six minutes of added time!
91': United's corner goes straight out of play and gives Rangers goalkeeper McGregor a chance to launch the ball down the other end of the pitch.
92': Giggs delivers the best cross of the night but Weir is there once more for Rangers.
93': Giggs slips over in the box, Edu falls over him and the ball glances off the Rangers man's hand.
94': Giggs gets booked for appealing for a penalty. It wasn't a penalty, but Giggs should not have got booked either.
95': Broadfoot gets booked for a desperate tackle as time ticks away.
96': That's it! The final whistle blows and Ferguson's decision to make ten changes to his team will come under plenty of scrutiny.
96': A 0-0 draw at home is a disappointing result for United and the evening was made even worse due to the loss of Valencia with a suspected broken ankle.
96': That is three draws on the bounce for United in all competitions and questions will be asked.

Statistics

RAN		MAN
11	Fouls	20
2	Yellow Cards	1
0	Red Cards	0
1	Offsides	2
0	Corner Kicks	3
3	Saves	1
36.9	Possession	63.1
2	SHOTS	21
1	ON GOAL	3
0.5	On Target %	0.1
0	Penalty Goals	0
0	Penalty Kicks Taken	0
278	Accurate Passes	517
371	Passes	616
0.7	Pass Completion %	0.8
3	Accurate Crosses	5
12	Crosses	40
0.3	Cross %	0.1
47	Long Balls	63
21	Accurate Long Balls	54
0.4	Long Balls %	0.9
1	Blocked Shots	11
22	Effective Tackles	14
27	Tackles	17
0.8	Tackle %	0.8
0	Interceptions	0
17	Effective Clearances	11
40	Clearances	19

Game Information

Competition: UEFA Champions League

Venue: Old Trafford
Location: Manchester, England

Line-Ups

Manchester United (4-4-2)

No.	Name
29	Tomasz Kuszczak (GK)
5	Rio Ferdinand
12	Chris Smalling
20	Fabio
6	Wes Brown
28	Darron Gibson
24	Darren Fletcher
13	Park Ji-Sung
25	Antonio Valencia
14	Javier Hernández
10	Wayne Rooney

Manchester United Substitutes:

Anderson, Michael Owen, Edwin van der Sar, Ryan Giggs, John O'Shea, Jonny Evans, Federico Macheda.

Rangers (5-4-1)

No.	Name
1	Allan McGregor (GK)
3	David Weir
5	Sasa Papac
24	Madjid Bouguerra
4	Kirk Broadfoot
16	Steven Whittaker
6	Lee McCulloch
7	Maurice Edu
14	Steven Naismith
8	Steven Davis
9	Kenny Miller

Rangers Substitutes:

Vladimir Weiss, Kyle Lafferty, Andrew Little, James Beattie, Neil Alexander, Richard Foster, Kyle Hutton.

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