> UEFA Champions League 07-08

UCL : 23, OCT, 07

MAN U 4 - 2 Dynamo Kiev

Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice as Manchester United FC cruised to a comfortable victory at FC Dynamo Kyiv to make it three wins from three in UEFA Champions League Group F and move to the brink of qualification.

United cruise
The visitors led after ten minutes when Rio Ferdinand headed in a free-kick from Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney quickly added a second on the counterattack. Dynamo were briefly given hope when Diogo Rincón nodded in Carlos Corrêa's corner, but Ronaldo restored the two-goal cushion just before half-time. The influential Portuguese added the fourth from the penalty spot before home forward Ismaël Bangoura completed the scoring with 12 minutes remaining.

Pre-match setback
The visitors had suffered a setback before kick-off when Patrice Evra picked up an injury and was replaced by Darren Fletcher, with John O'Shea falling back to cover and the Scotsman linking up with Anderson in central midfield. The hosts had the first chance through Bangoura, back from a rib injury, testing Edwin van der Sar with a shot from the edge of the area in the opening seconds.

Ferdinand opener
The English champions responded with Ronaldo particularly active but it took Sir Alex Ferguson's charges ten minutes to produce their first shot – and their first goal. Ronaldo won a free-kick near the corner flag on the left which Giggs crossed for Ferdinand to place a powerful header over Olexandr Shovkovskiy. As József Szabó's men poured forward, leaving vast spaces at the back exposed, United were clinical as they executed their opportunities on the break. One such free-flowing move down the right brought the second goal, as Rooney applied a simple finish after a pass by Wes Brown.

Shovkovskiy busy
Rooney had a further chance to add to United's advantage several minutes later, but Shovkovskiy parried his powerful drive while Goran Gavrančić took a blow when blocking an ensuing effort from Carlos Tévez. It was all United at that point with Dynamo looking out of ideas, but just as it seemed there was no hope for them, they found their way back into the game following a set-piece.

Ronaldo rampant
On 34 minutes, Corrêa whipped in a corner which the unmarked Rincón nodded in. Ronaldo called Shovkovskiy back into action with a shot from acute angle yet the keeper was powerless to prevent the third United goal four minutes before the break when Ronaldo neatly headed in Giggs's cross from the left to restore the Red Devils' two-goal lead. Dynamo introduced Valentin Belkevich and Artem Milevskiy at half-time but United continued to dominate with Anderson hitting the post.

Further strikes
Rincón delivered another fine header from an Oleh Gusev cross which flew just wide of the post, while Anderson drew another save from Shovkovskiy. The match was effectively over on 68 minutes when Gavrančić conceded a penalty for handball which Ronaldo casually stroked in to make it 4-1. Bangoura put some respectability on the scoreline with a fierce strike from 25 metres, yet the defeat leaves the Ukrainian club without a point and facing elimination at Old Trafford in two weeks' time.

Originally Posted by xXx

yeah.....bring them on.....ManU is ready !!!

BARCELONA, Spain -- Cristiano Ronaldo missed an early penalty Wednesday, and Manchester United missed its chance to leave Barcelona with an important away goal after a 0-0 draw in the Champions League.

Ronaldo's penalty, which went wide in the second minute of the first leg of the semifinals, could haunt the two-time champions when they host Barcelona in the second leg next Tuesday at Old Trafford.

United was awarded the penalty at the Camp Nou when defender Gabriel Milito handled Ronaldo's header inside the area. But Ronaldo side-footed the ball wide with Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes going the other way.

Barcelona, looking for its second European Cup in three seasons, controlled play after the penalty, and both Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o had chances against the English leaders.

Eto'o put a shot into the side-netting in the 53rd after Andres Iniesta had back-heeled Messi's pass to him on the right. Iniesta had a penalty appeal waved off in the 71st.

United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar got his hands up in the 83rd to deny Thierry Henry's hard shot from the left, and the Netherlands goalkeeper stopped Henry's curling free kick from outside the area two minutes from the end.

Man United has won just once in 17 matches in Spain.

Paul Scholes made his 100th appearance in the competition alongside Michael Carrick, who displaced England midfielder Owen Hargreaves at right back. Wes Brown partnered Rio Ferdinand at center back after Nemanja Vidic was left out of the lineup with a stomach problem.

Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard started Eto'o in front of a five-man midfield to stall United's attacking trio of Carlos Tevez, Wayne Rooney and Ronaldo.

Barcelona was without suspended captain Carles Puyol, and striker Thierry Henry joined teenage forwards Bojan Krkic and Giovani Dos Santos on the bench.

Ronaldo's free kick from outside the area deflected out for the corner. That led to the play Milito handled for the penalty.

Eto'o moved Barcelona into Man United's area for the first time in the eighth minute but Tevez hustled back to kick the ball away after initially losing it.

Deco, playing for the first time in two months, had trouble adjusting early and could only watch in the 11th when Iniesta's centering pass from the left rolled clear behind him.

Barcelona, determined to avoid a second consecutive season without a trophy, had most of the possession in the first half.

Ronaldo was United's one consistent threat and could have had another penalty in the 29th but referee Massimo Busacca waved to play on.

The Portugal winger had intercepted Iniesta's cross-field pass to move into the area but was knocked to the ground.

Krkic, the Champions League's only scorer born in the 1990s, came on for Messi in the 62nd.

Man United continued to frustrate Barcelona and the hosts couldn't find any space at the edge of the area for their slick passes to materialize. At the other end, the Red Devils looked helpless in possession, and Carrick sent a long ball out of play in the 70th.