Manchester United will have no safety net at Old Trafford in three
weeks' time after they ground out a goalless draw in their Champions
League last-16 meeting with Marseille at the Stade Velodrome.
United have failed to clinch victory from similar positions before.
But
they will still be favourites to progress against a limited Marseille
outfit, even if life would have been so much better had a Darren
Fletcher snapshot been able to break the deadlock in a drab contest.
Nani
blazed one early effort over and he was involved in United's best
chance of the first half. It was not in the way he would have wanted
though as his woeful corner was only half-cleared to Fletcher.
The
Scot had little time to pick his spot. But the shot was clean enough
and as it left his boot, keeper Steve Mandanda initially appeared
wrong-footed. Mandanda is clearly blessed with quick feet though, and
was able to get back in position to make the save before the ball
crossed his goal-line.
Marseille offered little evidence of how
they won the French title last season. It eventually came at the start
of the second period, when Lucho Gonzalez seized on Dimitar Berbatov's
failure to control deep inside the United half and whipped over a
curling cross for Brandao, whose firm header was directed straight at
Edwin Van der Sar.
Andre Ayew then had a shot blocked before a
kind bounce from Lucho's deflected effort provided a clear sight at
goal. The angle was not great though and with Brandao charging in at the
far-post, Ayew seemed caught in two minds and in the end neither
threatened United's goal or to pick out his team-mate.
Paul
Scholes was introduced for Darron Gibson and his willingness to get hold
of the ball instantly brought some direction to United's attacks.
Berbatov fed Patrice Evra, then continued his run to collect a return
pass from the full-back before firing a long-range effort over.
Berbatov almost managed to thread a pass through to Nani but Mandanda pounced.
What
appeared to be a golf ball was thrown into the United area as they set
themselves up to defend a Marseille corner three minutes from the end.
UEFA might take a dim view of that, although if nothing else it provided
a talking point as a desperately disappointing contest petered out.
- Marseille 0-0 Manchester United: As it happened
Source: DSG