Nantes - 1, Manchester United - 1: Ruud van Nistelrooy struck a dramatic penalty equaliser in the fourth minute of injury-time here to dredge a point from a night that threatened to end in frustration and disappointment for Manchester United. After the Nantes defender Marco Yepes handballed in his penalty area and was sent off for his sins, the £19 million Dutch striker took his opportunity with customary ruthlessness.
While nothing can ever be taken for granted in the Champions League, Alex Ferguson's demeanour over his two days in the Loire valley had been that of a man expecting maximum points from two games against a side languishing just above the relegation quicksand in La Ligue Nationale.
However, there were times, especially in the opening exchanges, when the presence of such illustrious guests seemed to have inspired the home side.
Ferguson, however, will reflect, not for the first time, that United's problems were all of their own making. Only nine minutes had elapsed when a yawning gap appeared to the right of their defence and Olivier Quint, afforded space, shaped to drive a left-foot shot at goal.
As David Beckham flung himself into the tackle the ball ricocheted off him and flashed across the six-yard area where Laurent Blanc et al appeared to have gone AWOL. Marama Vahirua's twisting header did not trouble Fabien Barthez but succeeded in taking the pace off the ball and it dropped kindly to Viorel Moldovan, who swivelled at the far post to score with a diagonal shot.
Had Barthez not saved wonderfully from Vahirua within the next 60 seconds, the French under-21 international wriggling past Blanc, Ferguson's side could have found themselves two down before most of his players had even worked up a sweat.
Instead United, with van Nistelrooy employed as a solitary striker, Juan Sebastian Veron returning to midfield after a four-match absence and the unfortunate Ole Gunnar Solksjaer relegated to the bench, gradually began to emerge as an attacking force .
Van Nistelrooy had their most inviting chances of the opening 45 minutes. With United's first serious attack, he accepted a pass from Roy Keane and turned a drive from the edge of the penalty area against the base of the post. An exquisite pass from Beckham then released the Dutch striker but Mickael Landreau was quick to leave his goal-line and block the shot.
Nantes attacked with equal measures of verve and vigour, with Moldovan and Vahirua posing a multitude of problems. But it was a more cautious approach from the side in green and yellow after the interval.
Given they had conceded only two goals in their previous eight Champions League games, breaking them down was never going to be easy, particularly when United also had to cope with the threat of being caught on the counter-attack.
Perhaps in hindsight Ferguson will consider Solksjaer's demotion was unnecessarily cautious. Certainly this was a frustrating evening for Veron, whose occasional moments of artistry were offset by the number of times he wasted possession, and it was no surprise when he made way for Solksjaer and no surprise that the Norwegian striker almost scored within two minutes of coming on.
Diego Forlan followed him shortly afterwards but Landreau was inspired in the Nantes goal, brilliantly denying Ryan Giggs, van Nistelrooy and, best of all, a diving header from Paul Scholes with two minutes to go.
Yet the late goal that United believe is their copyright appeared not to be coming this time. And, though the goal eventually did, it says much about their performance that Barthez was undoubtedly their best player.
NANTES: Landreau, Cetto, Fabbri, Yepes, Armand, Savinaud, Ziani, Berson, Quint (Ateba 78), Vahirua (Da Rocha 61), Moldovan (Andre 76). Subs Not Used: Grondin, Ahamada, Deroff, Devineau. Sent Off: Yepes (90). Booked: Yepes. Goals: Moldovan 9.
MAN UTD: Barthez, Phil Neville (Forlan 78), Gary Neville, Blanc, Silvestre, Keane, Beckham, Veron (Solskjaer 64), Giggs, Scholes, van Nistelrooy. Subs Not Used: Carroll, Irwin, Butt, Fortune, O'Shea. Booked: Keane. Goals: van Nistelrooy 90 pen.
Referee: Kyros Vassaras (Greece).
