A PASSIONATE Old Trafford and an inspired second half from Ryan Giggs could not save Manchester United from another home defeat in the Champions' League last night. Juventus made do with a first half penalty from Alessandro Del Piero.

Now United will have to beat Rapid Vienna in Austria in a fortnight to give themselves the best chance of reaching the quarter finals. A draw will suffice, however, if Fenerbache lose in Turin in two weeks.

If the visit of the Champions Cup holders could not produce some of the old time fervour at the ground then nothing ever would. Three weeks earlier, when Manchester United had seen their 40 year old unbeaten European home record fall to Fenerbahce, there had been a lack of passion both on and off the field.

Now was the moment for players and fans to put things right. In theory, a point last night might eventually be enough to send United through, but it was no time to be thinking of percentages.

While the victory over Arsenal last Saturday had arrested United's recent decline, it could hardly be compared to the fillip that beating Juventus would bring.

United's followers might wave the flags, but Juventus set the standard at the start with a series of broad, sweeping attacks that had the United defenders tumbling back desperately to cover.

Any thoughts that Juventus might be keeping their powder dry for Tuesday's World Club Championship match against River Plate in Tokyo were quickly dispelled. With Zinidane Zidane, Didier Deschamps, Jugovic and Di Livio powering past Nicky Butt and Roy Keane in midfield, Alen Boksic soon found opportunities to get behind United defenders.

For a while the English champions were trapped in their own third of the field. Something approaching panic set in as early as the third minute when Zidane's centre was half cleared by Peter Schmeichel and a miscue by Butt momentarily left Del Piero facing an empty net.

Del Piero was unable to exploit the situation, and when David May met David Beckham's corner - with a header that skimmed the Juventus bar, Old Trafford hoped the crisis had passed.

Some hope. In the next instant a limping Phil Neville gave way to Brian McClair, necessitating a reshuffle which saw Keane withdrawn to centre back and Ronnie Johnsen taking Neville's place on the left.

With Juventus having the bulk of the possession and dictating the pace and pattern of the match, United increasingly looked to the free kick or comer for scoring chances. These continued to offer them grounds for optimism.

But the precious opportunities, when they turned up, needed to be taken. Certainly Eric Cantona should have done better in the 19th minute when a free kick from Beckham on the right was cleared straight to where the Frenchman was lurking to the left of goal. Cantona had a lot of net to aim at but dragged his shot wide of the far post.

Still, with Beckham now beginning to show signs of finding space behind Torricelli on the right and Giggs ready to take on opponents for speed, United had at least seen off the initial onslaught by the half hour.

Yet the contrast in style and technique remained stark. Cantona, his influence peripheral, and Solskjaer hardly posed the problems for Juventus that Boksic and his cohorts were creating for United at the other end.

The face of Cantona might adorn many a United flag, but Zidane was the principal Gallic inspiration, and 10 minutes before half time he instigated the move which led to Juventus going in front. Deschamps, a fellow Frenchman, gathered his pass before finding Del Piero scuttling towards the right hand corner of the penalty area.

Butt, suckered into making a tackle as the Italian crossed the 18 yard line, gave away a penalty which Del Piero thumped into the roof of the United net. By half time only Schmeichel's agility in saving Boksic's sharp shot on the turn had kept United in the contest.

The frustrating thing for United was that, out played though they undoubtedly had been, chances still fell their way and were still being missed, usually by Cantona.

Shortly before half time, from Beckham's excellent cross, he headed over the bar. Shortly after, when Giggs's through ball left him with only Peruzzi to beat, Cantona still could not outwit the Juyentus goalkeeper.

Fortunately for United, Del Piero proved equally profligate when Ferrara's pass left him in a similarly inviting situation. With the ball bobbling, his shot sailed over the bar.

As Giggs exploited a slip by Did Livio before shooting only a fraction too high, United clung to the hope that a one goal deficit will always offer. The strength of the header Solskjaer put just wide after 63 minutes kept up Old Trafford's spirits, and with seven minutes to go Cantona almost grabbed the equaliser, but his dipping half volley from outside the area bounced frustratingly off the crossbar.