Manchester United edged closer to a place in the second round of the Champions League with a goalless draw against Sparta Prague in their Group D game on Tuesday.
United’s multimillion strike force failed to find the net for the second straight game, and the draw means the premier league side is now second in the group with five points after three games, two points behind Lyon.
Fenerbahce, which lost to Lyon 3-1 in the other group game, is third with three points, and Sparta is bottom of the standings with one point.
”It’s not a bad result away from home. They played quite well and had one or two chances due to a lack of concentration at the back I’m not happy with,” said Man United coach Sir Alex Ferguson.
”It was a good team performance but disappointing not to score any goals.”
United was held to a 0-0 draw by Birmingham City in the Premier League last weekend and is sixth in the table.
”Some of our approach play was good,” Ferguson said. ”I think our players can score and hopefully that will come.”
Sparta, buoyed by a 2-0 win over archrival Slavia Prague in league action last weekend, applied early pressure and had four corner kicks and a handful of chances in the opening 10 minutes.
Paul Scholes sent Lukas Zelenka tumbling on the edge of the area and Ales Urbanek drove his free kick into the United wall, with the visitors comfortably clearing the ball.
Poborsky, playing against the club he joined eight years ago as the star of Euro ’96, dazzled with his blazing runs down the right flank, setting up decent opportunities for Petr Vorisek and Tomas Jun, but United’s defence held up.
Sparta had a clear chance to score in the 26th minute when Zelenka wriggled past Wes Brown and his low shot shaved the left post of Roy Caroll’s goal.
At the other end Wayne Rooney, back for his second Champions League game, three weeks after his hat-trick against Fenerbahce, almost broke the deadlock five minutes before the interval when his shot flicked off deflected Jiri Homola and flew just off Jaromir Blazek’s goal, with the ‘keeper wrong-footed.
United was even closer to scoring in the 43rd minute after Blazek inexplicably threw the ball straight at Gabriel Heinze’s feet and the defender presented Rooney with a square ball, which the teenager sent inches wide.
A swift counterattack ended with Carroll deflecting Poborsky’s drive from short range. From the ensuing corner, Homola rose above Brown and powered a header against the bar.
In the first chance of the second half, Caroll managed to scramble back and save Poborsky’s lob after two weak punches from him had failed to clear a spirited Sparta attack.
United then pinned Sparta to its own half for 10 minutes but it was again the Czech team that could’ve scored when, against the run of play, Jun appeared alone in front of Carroll and the ‘keeper made an acrobatic save to deflect the young striker’s low shot.
Ronaldo could have scored the game winner in the 84th minute but Blazek parried his shot from close range.
”I’m not satisfied with the result. We had three clear-cut chances,” said Sparta coach Frantisek Straka.
”Nevertheless, it was a great experience for us to play Manchester United. I’m proud of my squad. We proved we can challenge one of the best teams in the world.” – Sapa-AP