Manchester Utd 1-0 Lille (United win 2-0 on agg):There has been some debate among Manchester United followers as to the effectiveness of Henrik Larsson since the 35-year-old Swede plumped for an English sabbatical at Old Trafford in January.
A degree of scepticism has shaped that argument, but Larsson skewed future memories favourably in his direction last night when he rose to nod in the 72nd-minute goal that takes United into their first Champions League quarter-final for four years.
It was by no means an unforgettable strike but it was the high point of an otherwise forgettable game and the drama for Larsson and United stemmed from the fact that this was Larsson's last appearance in a red shirt here.
After the FA Cup tie at Middlesbrough on Saturday, Larsson returns to Helsingborgs - though he will be present here for the Uefa Jubilee charity match next Tuesday.
This was Larsson's ninth start in his loan spell and the header, from a sublime run and cross from Cristiano Ronaldo, was his last touch. Alan Smith came on for him almost immediately, a symbolic moment. With Louis Saha now out for four weeks, and Larsson gone, United have striking issues and need Smith fit. They now have a fresh injury with Mikael Silvestre being carried off in injury-time.
But for now it is another job done in Europe, which is how Alex Ferguson characterised their progress so far this season. Thankfully there was also no repeat of the antics of the first leg: it turned out to be the grudge match without a grudge.
An indication of the resentment brooding between the two clubs could be gauged from the mere reading out of the teamsheet. Giggs was only among the substitutes but his name brought an angry clamour from the travelling Lille fans.
No Giggs, no Saha, meant a rewiring of the United formation. Wayne Rooney was placed on the left of a three-man support unit for lone-man Larsson. Lille, whose caution on previous visits here, has peeved Ferguson, were similarly reliant on a one-man forward line despite requiring a goal to maintain their interest in the competition. Peter Odemwingie was not slow to demonstrate his pace.
In clattering into Nemanja Vidic and leaving him with a bloodied nose, Odemwingie also inflicted the first act of physicality on the occasion, and it was a measure of how unexpectedly gentlemanly the opening period had been that it came 27 minutes in.
Scholes and Larsson linked to supply Rooney with a volley - well blocked by Matthieu Chalme - but from the resulting corner Lille were defensively naked as John O'Shea was allowed to climb unchallenged. The Waterfordman's header clipped the crossbar with the goalkeeper Tony Sylva nowhere.
The visitors had created minimal danger at that point. But then the talented Ludovic Obraniak curled in a free-kick that found Jean Makoun the wrong side of Vidic and Rio Ferdinand. From 12 yards Makoun could only head the ball to Edwin van der Sar.
There was then a much-enjoyed squabble over a United free-kick after that Scholes attempted to take it quickly and Makoun was booked for standing over the ball. But Ronaldo drilled his effort into the wall and was then booked for diving when tempting Chalme into a challenge.
However, there a lack of decisiveness about the first half, though there was also the knowledge that Lille would increase their ambition the longer the game stayed goalless. Sure enough, Kader Keita delivered a useful shot 35 seconds into the second half and a minute later another serving Obraniak centre ended with Odemwingie jumping alone as van der Sar sped off his line. Odemwingie's header was weak but van der Sar was fooled by that and the ball dribbled on to the post.
That was a reminder of the fragility of United's advantage - if needed - and there was no general reassurance for this mammoth stadium in the way the home side were playing. Close to the hour mark Rooney and Gary Neville were two of the United players with arms outstretched, perplexed at the lapse into incoherence. This was not approaching the comfort of the first half and the vast crowd veered between noiseless anxiety, whistles of derision and ditties for players not wearing the red jersey. Larsson will soon be one those and, because of this, United will sing long and loud about him when he is gone.
Guardian Service
MANCHESTER UTD: Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Silvestre, Carrick, Scholes, O'Shea, Ronaldo (Richardson 82), Rooney (Park 82), Larsson (Smith 74). Subs not used: Kuszczak, Heinze, Brown, Giggs. Booked: Ronaldo, Richardson.
LILLE OSC: Sylva, Chalme, Tavlaridis, Plestan, Tafforeau, Makoun, Dumont (Fauvergue 74), Keita, Obraniak, Michel Bastos (Debuchy 46), Odemwingie (Mirallas 74). Subs not used: Malicki, Youla, Franquart, Lichtsteiner. Booked: Makoun, Chalme, Tafforeau, Plestan.
Referee: Luis Medina Cantalejo (Sevilla).
