THIS WAS bizarre, breathless, beautiful stuff, parading the very worst and best of Manchester United.

Their defending was atrocious, far too deep and uncertain, but with Wayne Rooney arriving midway through the second half with United trailing 3-1, the champions of England demonstrated their eternal defiance with late goals from Paul Scholes and an own-goal from Georgi Schennikov ensuring passage to the knockout stage of the Champions League.

No one could have predicted the development of this game, ending with Owen and Rooney leading the charge as United sought to claw back something from the excellent Russians. England's coach, Fabio Capello, had contacted United on Monday evening asking for a ticket and the champions certainly had a few seats spare partly because of traffic congestion, reflecting the gaps in United's defence.

There was enough England interest, notably the sight of Rooney swapping cradle for bench, and then pitch, after 57 minutes and Owen recording his first Champions League goal since striking for Real Madrid against Dynamo Kiev in October 2004.

Owen's goal was sandwiched between two smart Russian efforts that startled Old Trafford in a crazy six-minute period midway through the first half, the bizarre sequence of events continuing shortly after the break when CSKA made it 3-1. Group B's leaders were stunned.

From the start the visitors had been full of counter-attacking purpose, clearly invigorated by the regime change that had seen Juande Ramos dismissed after a hapless 47 days and replaced by Leonid Slutski, hitherto more famous for the way his playing career ended: unable to keep goal again after falling out of a tree.

Branching out into management, Slutski's reputation was enhanced with his new team's first-half attacking, exploiting the uncertainty in United's defence in which both Wes Brown and Jonny Evans were found wanting.

After 25 minutes, Eugeni Aldonin clipped a pass through the middle, Tomas Necid chested the ball into the path of Alan Dzagoev and United looked desperately vulnerable.

Evans sought to keep pace with CSKA's No 10 but was utterly deceived when Dzagoev slowed down, then suddenly accelerated again.

trailing

Left trailing in his wake, poor Evans could only watch in horror as Dzagoev darted on and angled his shot from left to right past Edwin van der Sar.

As exposed as the Dutchman had been left by his defence, his response was below par for a keeper of his standing. He waved an arm half-heartedly as the ball sped past him into the net.

This was a particularly special moment for the teenaged Dzagoev, a schoolboy in Beslan during that terrible siege across town in 2004. As Dzagoev and the rest of the Muscovites celebrated wildly here, the Stretford End exhorted United to react, which they duly did.

Owen had already gone close, missing two good chances from a Valencia cut-back and then Federico Macheda pass.

Valencia, outstanding at the Luzhniki, slid the ball in from the right and Nani cleverly back-heeled the ball through the middle for Owen, adjudged onside, to fire smartly past Igor Akinfeev, the Russian international considered a future target for United.

Having clawed their way back into the game, United's defence simply went to sleep again. Didier Drogba, lying in wait at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, will enjoy watching the DVD of United's dozy defending here.

United's centre-halves were punished for not being more alive to the danger; so were Ferguson's midfielders, particularly Darren Fletcher for not following the run of Milos Krasic, the flaxen-haired winger.

When Necid's lay-off ushered Krasic through, the Serb ran across the box, past Van der Sar, spun and swept the ball into the net.

United tried to recover. Brown headed wide. Macheda, following a beautiful Cruyff turn, went close with a low shot. But it was CSKA who scored again, again exploiting hapless marking by the champions of England.

When Dzagoev lifted a long free-kick over from the left, United failed to attack the ball, giving the unmarked Vasili Berezutski a straightforward opportunity at the far-post. His firm header flew past Van der Sar. Berezutski's brother, Aleksei, was then involved in a hugely controversial incident, a real injustice to United and Fletcher.

Running through on goal, the Scot was clearly tripped by Aleksei Berezutski, fell to ground, and was ludicrously yellow-carded for diving, not the penalty he deserved.

Ferguson sent on Rooney, accorded a tumultuous reception, another reminder of how heavily reliant United are on their No 10.

He immediately lifted United's tempo, although the CSKA's defending remained resolute and they always threatened on the counter-attack. Still United poured forward.

With 11 minutes remaining, Paul Scholes flicked the ball right to Gary Neville, whose cross was met by the head of Owen, the ball angled down but Akinfeev pushed the ball away. Rooney, lurking nearby, seized on the loose ball but again the CSKA keeper was equal to the danger, palming it away.

If United are interested one day in Akinfeev, and Ferguson praised him highly in his programme notes, he clearly demonstrated his talent here.

When Macheda's header hit the post, Akinfeev pushed away Rooney's follow-up and then tipped over a long-ranger from Scholes. But when the former England midfielder came raiding again with seven minutes left, Akinfeev had no chance with Scholes' headed response to Neville's free-kick.

But then came Valencia's shot, turned past his own keeper by Schennikov, sending Old Trafford completely bonkers.

CSKA's disappointment deepened when Deividas Semberas was then dismissed. (© Daily Telegraph, London)

- Henry Winter at Old Trafford

Irish Independent