Football Champion's League: Cole and Scholes turn tables on Marseilles

CHAMPIONS' LEAGUE Two goals in last 11 minutes seal recovery by Ferguson's men while spirited Gunners secure an important point in Spain

Manchester United 2 Marseilles 1

YOU WOULD think Manchester United's taste for the dramatic would have been sated in Barcelona in May, but apparently not. They resuscitated the prospect of retaining the European Cup when it appeared to be draining away at rain-sodden Old Trafford last night and, true to form, they left it late.

Nothing could compare to the climax at the Nou Camp, but this match will do as second best. Trailing to Ibrahima Bakayoko's first-half goal, the second phase of the Champions' League looked a problematical distance away when Andy Cole and Paul Scholes came to the rescue in the last 11 minutes. Concern was turned to relief and, unlikely though it seemed for much of this match, they top Group D this morning.

Unlikely because, until the finale, the tenor of the game had been one of diminishing returns for United. A fruitless night appeared to be in the offing as the pursuit of an equaliser had yielded only half rather than full chances. Then, with frustration beckoning, they struck.

The first goal owed everything to Cole's instincts. David Beckham swung over an 80th-minute free-kick from the right to the far depths of the area where Jaap Stam rose impressively above his markers. The ball was falling behind Cole but, adjusting in an instant, he hit an overhead kick past the bewildered Stephane Porato.

The next, seven minutes from the end, was a victory for perseverance. Dwight Yorke flicked the ball forward, Scholes shook off the attentions of Yannick Fischer and when his first attempt was blocked he regained his feet to scoop the ball over the line from a range of a foot.

"The qualities of determination and perseverance were why we won," Sir Alex Ferguson said. "I wasn't confident when we were 1-0 down and time was running out but I was confident that we never give in.

"We deserved to win. In the contest of 90 minutes we made more chances and had some good attacking play. Because you score so late people think you are lucky but I don't think we were."

The United manager might revise his opinion when he studies a tape of the match because although his side were the better team in the first half, Marseilles improved significantly in the second. In Stephane Dalmat they had the best midfield player on the pitch while Bakayoko was elusive, quick and looked capable of further embarrassing United's rearguard.

United's line-up was predictable, Raimond Van der Gouw and Phil Neville replacing the ineligible Massimo Taibi and Mickael Silvestre, and it was left to Marseilles to surprise, changing the the team that beat Croatia Zagreb to include Fabrizio Ravanelli.

Middlesbrough's former "White Feather" began as a striker, but was soon withdrawn to halt United's incursions on the left. It stemmed the tide but nevertheless the European champions should have gone ahead with chances in the 20th and 29th minutes, which were squandered by the strikers who had carved through the Continent's defences last season.

First, Cole shot wide. Then Yorke's attempt from six yards was blocked by Porato. It was a bad miss that was made to look worse after 40 minutes when Marseilles pounced on United's sloppiness to take the lead. Henning Berg turned almost casually and, quick as a flash, Bakayoko pounced, waited for Van der Gouw to make his move and shot under the United keeper.

The cue was for an onslaught on the French goal, but although Old Trafford bayed for a response it was an eternity in coming. Cole, Solskjaer and Scholes all had glimpses of the goal, but with Beckham's space to create confined to a minimum an unhappy result appeared to be beckoning.

Before the match Ferguson had predicted the mere reputation of Marseilles would bring a lighted match to the blue touch-paper of United's European campaign after less than compelling performances against Croatia Zagreb and Sturm Graz. It did. But it took a long, long time.

Manchester United (4-4-2): Van der Gouw; Irwin, Berg (Sheringham, 76), Stam, P Neville; Beckham, Butt, Scholes, Solskjaer (Fortune, 71); Cole (Clegg, 85), Yorke. Substitutes not used: Cruyff, Wilson, Greening, Bosnich (gk).

Marseilles(4-1-3-2): Porato; Perez, Fischer, Gallas, Blondeau; Issa (Belmadi, 81); Brando, Luccin (De La Pena, 76), Dalmat; Ravanelli (Pires, 61), Bakayoko. Substitutes not used: Keita, Diawara, Reina, Trevisan (gk).

Referee: J Garcia-Aranda (Spain).

Results, tables, page 31