FULL-TIME: AS ROMA 1-1 MAN UTD

Vucinic blazes the ball over the bar when inside the six-yard box and with that goes AS Roma's hopes of stealing all three points

Two minutes of stoppage time will be added

United are defending in numbers in the closing stages as Sir Alex Ferguson's youthful side look to hold onto the point their performance deserves

Eagles goes down in the box under challenge from Mexes as he attempted to get onto Dong's pass but the referee waves play on

Both sides are refusing to settle for a point as play switches between ends and the outcome remains in the balance

Giuly is close to a winner as he cracks a quick right-footed shot goalwards but it flashes just wide

Sir Alex Ferguson has rise off the bench for virtually the first time tonight as he attempts to rally his youthful side for the closing minutes

AS Roma are piling on the pressure but can they find the extra bit of quality they'll need to open up United one more time tonight?

Carrick loses the ball in a dangerous position but Vucinic can only fire a low shot comfortably wide of the mark - United are playing a dangerous game here

Rooney's departure has signalled a change in fortunes for United who are suddenly on the back foot and struggling to hold onto the ball

Kuszczak makes a hash of an attempted punch clear but luckily for the Polish keeper there are no AS Roma players around to simply lob it back into an empty net

Vucinic drills a half-volley against the foot of the post from the edge of the penalty area and United look on the rack now

AS Roma have the bit between their teeth now and they could well nick this game after being second best for most of it

Dong Fangzhou has come on for Rooney as United make a second change

AS ROMA 1-1 MAN UTD: MANCINI cuts inside Brown on the edge of the box and picks his spot beyond the keeper with a composed piece of finishing to level the scores - Vucinic did well to pick him out in acres of space

Doni keeps his side in the game as he charges out and beats away a Saha effort as Rooney picks him out with a superb pass on the edge of the penalty area - there was a sublime one-two between the pair in the build up

Carrick drills a low shot from 20 yards narrowly wide of the upright to end a prolonged spell of United pressure

Eagles now tries his luck with a cheeky volley from the edge of the box after chipping the ball up to himself but it drifts comfortably wide

Eagles is close to a killer second as he stretches to meet Nani's intelligent cross with a volley which drops just wide of the upright - that was a quick counter attack by United that had AS Roma in all sorts of trouble

Ludovic Giuly and Mirko Vucinic come on for Esposito and Barusso

Mancini's dangerous cross bounces untouched through the United six-yard box as the Brazilian finally shows his class

Barusso has United worried as his 30-yard piledriver after a corner is cleared flashes just wide of the upright

Rooney takes a long ball down superbly and looks for the run of Eagles but Mexes sticks out a long leg and just about stops it reaching him in the box

Carrick diverts a Nani near post corner goalwards with a volley and a goalmouth melee ends with Doni having to tip the ball over the bar

Wes Brown comes on for O'Shea as United make a first change - it looks like a groin problem has forced him off

Mancini over-hits a simple pass out to the left flank and the Brazilian winger looks devoid of any confidence with the crowd clearly on his back

United have started the second half much like the first - well on top and camped in the home side's half

Barusso goes into the book for a poor late tackle on Evans - he is perhaps lucky not to see red there

Fletcher feeds Nani 25 yards from goal but his low shot is mis-hit and goes behind for a goal kick

AS Roma have sent on Daniele de Rossi for Taddei at half-time

United get the second half underway with a one-goal lead

HALF-TIME: AS ROMA 0-1 MAN UTD

Barusso lines up an ambitious 30-yard shot but lashes it well over the top of the crossbar as the half-time whistle approaches

Luciano Spalletti looks bemused by his side's poor first-half showing as he prowls around the technical area occasionally barking out orders

Kuszczak denies Mancini at full stretch as he dives to his right to repel a first-time effort from the Brazilian after a swift break down the United right

Ahmed Barusso drills a 25-yard free-kick straight into the defensive wall as United survive a few dangerous moments in quick succession

Totti makes a yard of space on the penalty spot but shifts the ball to Mancini who drills it against the crossbar before Esposito fails to convert the follow up with his head under pressure from O'Shea

AS Roma really haven't been at the races so far tonight and their star players like Mancini and Totti have barely touched the ball

AS ROMA 0-1 MAN UTD: Nani delivers a quality corner and PIQUE runs off marker Mancini before heading home from eight yards with relative ease

United are back in control in terms of possession and AS Roma coach Luciano Spalletti looks far from happy in the home dugout

Cicinho picks out Mauro Esposito with an early cross from the right but, after getting ahead of Pique, he mis-times his free header and diverts it wide of the far post

Michael Carrick looks for the run of Louis Saha with a long ball in behind the defence but Doni comes out to claim

Alexander Doni has to be alert to tip over a header from O'Shea following a neat chipped cross from the right by Fletcher

Nani controls on his chest before racing down the right and picking out Rooney but he can't find space for a shot in the box and AS Roma clear their lines

Kuszczak claims a 30-yard shot from Pizarro with ease but the home side are definitely on top now

AS Roma are beginning to go through the gears now and are slowing pushing a youthful United side back into their own half

Vitorino Antunes worries Kuszczak with a dangerous cross which the keeper has to palm over for a corner

Rooney now picks up a clearance and drills a 20-yard effort high and wide - he is everywhere in these opening stages

Rooney drifts past Pizarro and looks to chip the keeper from 25 yards but his effort is blocked out by Philippe Mexes for a corner

David Pizarro almost picks out Rodrigo Taddei with a lofted ball into the box from right of goal but he can't connect with a difficult volley and Kuszczak collects

United are looking confident in possession and at the moment they are shading this match despite neither keeper being forced to make a save

Totti chips the ball over the advancing Tomasz Kuszczak and into the back of the net but the flag goes up for offside - Pique is relieved as he let the ball roll back towards his keeper

Pique gets a vital foot to an intelligent Francesco Totti pass in behind the defence before John O'Shea clears the danger

Rooney is darting around like a man possessed and is clearly looking to make an impression with the captain's armband on

It's all United in the opening minutes as they are camped in the AS Roma half

There is an eerie atmosphere surrounding this match as the stadium looks around one quarter full - you could almost hear a pin drop

Rooney has an early sight of goal but guides a 20-yard shot well over the top from the corner of the penalty area

AS Roma get this game underway in front of a smallish crowd at the Stadio Olimpico

United would become only the fourth team in Champions League history to win all six of their group stage games should they prevail in Rome

AS Roma coach Luciano Spalletti has resisted the temptation to make wholesale changes and has named a strong looking side

Danny Simpson, Jonny Evans and Gerard Pique have been drafted into defence, while Wayne Rooney will captain the Group F winners as he continues his comeback from injury with a run out

Sir Alex Ferguson has opted to name an inexperienced line-up with half an eye on Sunday’s Premier League trip to Liverpool

Manchester United face AS AS Roma at the Stadio Olimpico tonight with both teams already assured of their passage into the last 16