United 2 Aalborg BK 2

Making chances at a rate of knots, and having strolled to a 3-0 victory when the two sides met earlier this season, it seemed United were set to dish out another Danish pasting. Not so, unfortunately.

The first warning sign that the visitors were settling came after 11 minutes when John O’Shea was a touch fortunate to avoid conceding a penalty for a trip on Thomas Augustinussen.

Not that United were being run ragged, far from it. The visitors seemed carried little attacking threat, but had stopped making defensive errors, restricting United to half chances.

Tevez headed comfortably wide from a Rooney cross, while Nani stabbed into the side netting after another fine interchange with the impressive Giggs. The second chance would be particularly rued just two minutes later, when Aalborg shocked Old Trafford by drawing level.

There seemed little danger when Martin Pedersen sent in an in-swinging cross from the right flank, halfway inside the United half. Opposite full-back Michael Jakobsen flicked a clever back-header towards goal, however, which evaded the sprawling Tomasz Kuszczak and crept inside the post.

Aalborg’s vociferous support, who had soundtracked proceedings with bilingual witty ditties and a migraine-inducing drummer, went ballistic. And it was they who had much more to cheer during the remainder of the