Manchester United 1 Blackburn 1
English League Cup holders Blackburn Rovers' hopes of a succesful defence of their title were still alive after a 1-1 draw with Manchester United in the first leg of this season's semi-final here at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
England midfielder Paul Scholes gave United a second-half lead with his third goal in successive matches and 10th of the season in this all-Premiership clash.
But minutes later David Thompson equalised with what could turn out to be a valuable away goal - the first goal United had conceded in the competition this season - and was only the third time Uunited had failed to win at home in 21 matches this season.
The result stretched United's unbeaten run in domestic Cup semi-finals under Alex Ferguson to 16 matches but that would have been little consolation for the Scot as his side failed to take their chances.
The second leg takes place at Ewood Park on January 22.
First Division Sheffield United face Liverpool in the first leg of the other semi-final at Bramall Lane on Wednesday.
After a disappointing first half, United took the lead in the 58th minute.
Argentina international Juan Sebastian Veron's long-range free-kick picked out Ruud van Nistelrooy.
He found England captain David Beckham out on the right wing.
Beckham's low centre across the face of goal was too hot to handle for Blackburn's American keeper Brad Friedel and he spilt it straight into the path of the onrushing Scholes who bundled home from barely a yard out.
But in the 61st minute Rovers were level.
Former United winger Keith Gillespie, on as a substitute, crossed from the right and the unmarked Thompson powered home a header.
Gillespie himself almost scored with nine minutes remaining. Another United old boy Dwight Yorke, playing up front with fellow ex-United striker Andy Cole, saw his shot blocked.
United failed to clear the danger and what looked like a centre from Northern Ireland international Gillespie had to be headed off the line by United centre-back Wes Brown.
And in the 87th minute Blackburn might have had a penalty when Australian midfielder Lucas Neill went down in the box under a challenge from United's France defender Mikael Silvestre.
But referee Uriah Rennie was so unimpressed he not only rejected the penalty appeals but also booked Neill for diving which rules him out of the second leg.
United though almost won the match in stoppage time when substitute striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saw his shot chested off the line by Rovers' teenage defender James McEveley.
United ought to have taken the lead in the 54th minute through van Nistelrooy but the Dutch forward ballooned the ball over from barely five yards out from Beckham's inviting cross.
Despite fielding his strongest available side, in a competiton where he has frequently put out weakened teams, Ferguson saw his men create just one clear chance in the first half - and that was in stoppage time.
However, van Nistelrooy's strike from six yards was comfortably saved by Friedel.
Earlier Neill forced United keeper Fabien Barthez to punch away his 20 yard strike.
Barthez was one of four United changes to the team that beat Portsmouth 4-1 in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
Veron was back in midfield alongside Phil Neville with Scholes and Brown also returning.
But midfield dynamo Roy Keane was absent after sustaining a hamstring strain against Portsmouth.