Dinamo Bucuresti vs Manchester United, 1st Leg

United will be very pleased to come away with the lead. Dinamo put up some resistance in the form of lively breaks and some clever forward play but ultimately their policy of conceding possession and defending deep did not work. Even woithout a number of key men the English side were just too strong. Smith, Giggs and Scholes took the game to the home side whilst the spritly Niculescu stood out for Dinamo.

Whistle sounds and, after some scary moments, it is job done for the big boys. 2-1 United the final score

Neville is in trouble as the referee books him for protesting. For those of you paying attention that would add up to a red but, apologies for this, I was misinformed about his earlier card which, it turns out, never happened. He is booked now though

So confident is Sir Alex with the way the game is going that he feels able to take off Scholes and replace him with Frolan. Says it all really

United will be happy with how the game is ending. Dinamo look a spent force and United just need to run the clock down

Silvestre is the latest United man to see yellow and, like Neville before him, it was completely unnecessary. Flew into the back of Danciulescu in the centre circle when red shirts outnumbered white by two to one. Stupid

Smith is caught offside again. he has had a decent enough game but that isn't the first time he has been looking down the line and still didn't check the run

Second free kick is equally well delivered but the Dinamo defenders are alive to it this time and clear their lines well

Re-take is the verdict and Neville argues the point with the referee. Gets a yellow card for his troubles. That'll teach him, eh?

Wonderfully delivered outswinging cross from Neville is inch perfect for Smith who rises to meet it sweetly and bury the ball in the back of the net. His celebrations are cut short, however, as the referee had blown long before Smith even jumped

United work the ball down the right through Miller, Smith and Scholes before a body check on Miller earns a free kick in a good position, deep on the right.

United follow suit with Giggs, impressive all night, being sacraficed for Phil Neville

Substitution for Dinamo: Alexandru Baltoi enters the fray with Balan retiring

Giggs flys as only he can into the Dinamo box across a pair of defenders. Shot looked on for a second but instead he lays back to Smith who skies the snatched shot well over the bar

Dinamo continue to cause problems in the United box. Good, deep cross from the left clears the crowded box but Tames, arriving late at the far post volleys spectacularly but without accuracy

Semeghin is obviously rattled. First he motions to square up to Scholes after a fair challenge and then produces what looked to all the world like a foul throw. All the world that is, bar the match officials

Giggs now tries his luck from distance as a poor clearance bounces up in front of him, 30 yards out directly in front of goal. Left footed shot is truck sweetly and has the goalkeeper scrambling but flashes just the wrong side of the post as far as Giggs is concerned

United strt to play the ball around now with the confidence of a side holding a comfortable lead

Huge raking cross finds Miller unmarked at the back of the box. With time to consider his options he elects to drive a low, powerful effort across the six yard box. No United man there but it doesn't matter as the Dinamo defence return Fortunes earlier favour and stick it away themselves. 2-1 United

The introduction of Miller pays early dividends as United do take a lead for the first time in the match

United really on top now and you sense it is only a matter of time before they take the lead

Quick thinking from Scholes as a ball into the box went behind him. A clever flick of the leg and a back heel goes almost goalbound. Would have been a cheeky goal. But wasn't

Some rather clumsy tackling from O'Shea and Scholes lets Tames send a pass through to the feet of Danciulescu but he is called offside. Howard stopped the shot regardless

Substitution from United as Fletcher makes way for debutant Liam Miller, a recent purchase from Glasgow Celtic and 'the new Roy Keane' if you beleive what some are saying

The endeavour and persistence of first O'Shea and then Fortune gives Smith the ball on the edge of the box. Cute little drag back creates space where there was none but he can't get any backlift to give the shot power.