Man United squeeze past CSKA Moscow in Europe

CSKA Moscow 0 Manchester United 1. The last time United graced the Luzhniki Stadium they ended the night taking home the European Cup; last night they were happy enough to pick up three points from this grim game that practically books their passage into the next phase of the Champions League.

Along the way the club equalled Ajax Amsterdam's European record of going undefeated through 14 away games, and some more welcome good news for the underfire manager Alex Ferguson came in the performance of Antonio Valencia, the man tasked with the hardest job in football - replacing Cristiano Ronaldo.

"He's emerging very well," said Ferguson, who walked out of a pre-match press conference enraged at questions about his potential FA ban for insulting referee Alan Wiley. "Valencia's got strength, crossing ability and balance, goal-scoring was his weakness at Wigan but he's now scored a couple in two games. His confidence is growing."

The game, played on an artificial surface, offered few clear-cut chances although CSKA's dangerous -an in-demand - frontman Milos Krasic almost embarrassed his compatriot Nemanja Vidic by dispossessing him and jinking through the Man Utd defence before disappointingly shooting over.

On the left flank, however, Fabio and Nani were linking up famously, almost setting up Dimitar Berbatov for headed goal. Fabio needed to be sharp to keep Krasic quiet, and while he denied the Serb from scoring he let the "very talented" - according to Ferguson - wide man see too much of the ball.

At the interval the home supporter would arguably have been the happier of the two, with a proven game-changer such as Krasic around, while United were still looking for someone to take the game by the scruff of its neck or produce a moment of Ronaldo-esque magic.

The second-half continued in the same vein, until CSKA had the ball in the United net only for it to be ruled offside. The visitors suddenly seemed infused with the spirit of Moscow 2008, and hurled themselves at the Russians. Nani could have scored from a Gary Neville cross, while Valencia hit the crossbar.

Eventually the Russians' resistance broke and Nani and Valencia combined for a sweet close strike past the impressive CSKA keeper Igor Akinfeev. Man Utd fans may see a lot more of Akinfeev, as Ferguson praised him to the skies in the post-match round of interviews, suggesting last night may have altered the Old Trafford goalkeeping succession race.