Deportivo la Coruna 0 Manchester United 2Manchester United's aspirations of winning the European Cup moved significantly closer with an enchanting performance last night, but injuries to David Beckham and Roy Keane cast a cloud over their victory.
A Beckham spectacular gave United the lead and Ruud van Nistelrooy added the second.
Alex Ferguson confirmed that Keane, who was carried off just before half-time, had pulled a hamstring and he angrily claimed that Diego Tristan should have been sent off for his crunching injury-time tackle on Beckham.
Before the game, Ferguson had preached to his players the importance of curbing their natural instincts, particularly during the opening exchanges.
They must have had cotton wool in their ears. As anticipated, Van Nistelrooy was employed as a solitary striker, but what few could have predicted was Ryan Giggs being given a licence to roam just behind the Dutchman, with Nicky Butt brought into the centre of midfield and Paul Scholes drifting left.
It was a significant gamble on the manager's part, but one that swiftly paid off. Van Nistelrooy manoeuvred two shooting opportunities for himself inside the opening 15 minutes, Giggs was causing mayhem in his free role and United's early domination had been rewarded by one of the season's most sublime moments.
Special players come up with special moments when it matters most and Beckham's 16th goal of the season was delivered with an impeccable sense of timing.
Collecting a loose ball more than 30 yards from goal, and with a clutch of defenders in front of him, an attempt at goal hardly seemed a viable option.
Beckham's audacity was something to behold. Looking up, he noticed Francesco Molina had strayed from his goalline and, with one swing of that trusted right boot, he had whipped the ball over the goalkeeper for an exquisite goal.
Coming so early, it soothed United's nerves, but the Spanish response was impressive. Javier Irureta, the Deportivo coach, has assembled a side laced with attacking invention, a combination of movement, guile and flair that had seen them score in all but one of their European excursions this season.
Under intense pressure, United might have folded like a house of cards earlier in the season. This time they stood firm, defended stoutly and, five minutes before the interval, broke joyously to go 2-0 ahead courtesy of Van Nistelrooy's 33rd goal of the season.
Again with plenty of numbers in attack, the ball was worked forward to Mickael Silvestre on the left and the Frenchman's low centre picked out Van Nistelrooy, loitering with intent inside the penalty area. From six yards, the striker's predatory skills did the rest.
This was arguably the best stuff United have produced on the continent since winning the trophy three years ago.
Yet Ferguson's mood will have been tempered by a nauseating sensation in the pit of his stomach as he returned to the dressing room at half-time.
A couple of minutes earlier, Keane had gone in for a challenge with Sergio and failed to get up. The captain was carried off in clear pain, with the initial diagnosis that he will be out for a month.
Giggs, irrepressible throughout, twice had chances to put the game beyond doubt when he burst clear midway through the second half, rounding Molina on the first occasion only for Cesar to clear his shot off the line and then losing out to the goalkeeper in a one-on-one.
More crucially, Fabien Barthez was relatively untroubled although Keane's injury and a booking for Paul Scholes that ruled him out next week means the second leg may still be fraught with danger.
After the match, William Hill bookmakers immediately installed United as the new favourites for the Champions League.
However, they suspended betting on the Premiership race pending news about the extent of Keane and Beckham's injuries.
Manchester United are now 2 to1 favourites to win the Champions League with William Hill who also offer 10 to 3 on Real Madrid and 5 to 1 on Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Liverpool are 13 to 2.
DEPORTIVO LA CORUNA: Molina, Romero, Cesar, Naybet, Scaloni, Sergio, Mauro Silva, Fran (Makaay 60), Valeron (Djalminha 69), Victor (Duscher 87), Tristan. Subs Not Used: Nuno, Capdevila, Pandiani, Hector. Booked: Tristan, Djalminha.
MANCHESTER UNITED: Barthez, Silvestre, Johnsen, Blanc, Gary Neville, Giggs, Keane (Fortune 45), Butt, Beckham (Phil Neville 90), Scholes, van Nistelrooy (Solskjaer 76). Subs Not Used: Carroll, Irwin, Forlan, O'Shea. Booked: Butt, van Nistelrooy, Scholes. Goals: Beckham 15, van Nistelrooy 41.
Referee: K Vassaras (Greece).
