Champions League Group D Lille Metropole 1
Manchester United 0 Stade de France, Wed 2 November 2005
Manchester United slipped to third position in the UEFA Champions
League Group D following a shock 1-0 defeat against Lille at Stade de France
in Paris on Wednesday night.
Milenko Acimovic scored the all-important goal six minutes before the break
and it has to be said that United rarely looked like staging a recovery.
They have now failed to find the net in three of their four group games so
far this season.
In fact it was Lille who should have cemented their victory after being
presented with a couple of glorious chances during the second half.
There was a ray of hope for United, in the 58th minute when Cristiano
Ronaldo hit the bar from Wayne Rooney’s corner but it was rare bright moment
for the Red Devils.
The result makes United’s next fixture, against Villarreal in a fortnight’s
time, all the more vital with the Spanish club now top of the group with six
points. Lille are second on five points ahead of United, also on five
points, because of the head-to-head rule with Benfica bottom with four
points. In short it means that with two matchdays remaining all four clubs
still retain a chance of qualifying for the knockout phase of the
competition.
Sir Alex Ferguson made three changes from the side which began the ill-fated
Premiership clash against Middlesbrough at the Riverside last Saturday. Wes
Brown, Kieran Richardson and Cristiano Ronaldo, who were all used as
substitutes against Boro, were the incoming players, whilst Phil Bardsley,
Ji-sung Park and Paul Scholes (suspended) being replaced. Ruud van
Nistelrooy was handed the captain’s arm-band for this important match in the
French Capital.
This match against Lille at Stade de France constituted United’s tenth
competitive visit to France – 11th if the 1999 UEFA Super Cup match against
Lazio in Monaco is included – and, remarkably, the first ever to Paris.
And United’s record made good reading for Sir Alex Ferguson and his team
ahead of the kick-off – just one defeat six years ago against Olympique in
Marseille (two, if the 1-0 Super Cup defeat against Lazio is looked on as a
full-blown competitive match).
United, playing in a changed strip of all-white, were looking to move into
calmer waters after the storm they endured on Teesside and they started the
game against Lille in a workmanlike fashion that suggested that they were
determined that there was to be no repeat of Saturday’s horror show.
Cristiano Ronaldo, restored to the right wing, raised hopes of an early
breakthrough when he was presented with a shooting chance. Lille keeper Tony
Mario Sylva looked to have all angles covered as the former Sporting Lisbon
player set himself to hit a left foot drive. Sadly, for United, Ronaldo
failed to get any real power behind the shot and the opportunity passed
without causing Lille too much anxiety.
Lille’s Matt Moussilou had earlier tried his luck with a long range effort
which flew wildly over Edwin van der Sar’s crossbar. It was a ploy that
proved contagious for both Wayne Rooney and Milenko Acimovic who were also
guilty of similar wayward strikes.
United looked comfortable, if not adventurous, during most of the first half
but then with six minutes of the first half to negotiate they allowed Lille
to claim the lead. Skipper Gregory Tafforeau overlapped down the left before
delivering a pass which sliced through the United defence to Acimovic who
advanced before thumping a rising shot in the roof of van der Sar’s net.
It was the development United’s 5,000 or so travelling supporters had been
hoping to see, but it could have been so much worse but for van der Sar’s
acrobatics early in the second half. Lille were awarded a free-kick on the
edge of the area after Alan Smith’s clumsy challenge had dumped Acimovic on
the turf. Tafforeau whipped in a swerving shot that looked destined to find
the top corner until van der Sar tipped it away for a corner. It was a
brilliant and potentially vital save from the Dutch international.
United's rare attempts to breach Lille’s defences appeared to have bore
fruit in the 58th minute when Ronaldo, who scored with his head at
Middlesbrough on Saturday, almost repeated the feat from Rooney’s corner.
The ball appeared to strike Ronaldo on the shoulder before thudding against
the crossbar. Fortunately, for the French side, Geoffrey Dernis was guarding
the line and he was perfectly positioned to prevent it from crossing the
line.
Moussilou was given a golden opportunity to put the game beyond United in
the 64th minute when he got his head to a ball in from the right. He was
alone, unmarked and perfectly positioned in front of the United goal, but
his effort flew over the bar.
It was the last genuine chance of another hugely disappointing ninety
minutes for United.
Premiership Table 2005 
