Manchester United survived a late scare against Marseille before advancing into the Champions League quarter-finals for the fifth season in succession.
Javier Hernandez cemented his growing reputation with two close-range finishes to put United in control - but a late own goal from Wes Brown forced an anxious finale as Marseille pressed for the equaliser that would have sent them through.
Sir Alex Ferguson looks to have unearthed a goal poacher in the mould of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in young Mexican Hernandez and he was on the spot inside five minutes to slide in Wayne Rooney's ball across the face of goal.
Marseille had the chance to snatch a crucial away goal but wastefully cast their best opportunities aside with Andre-Pierre Gignac and Souleymane Diawara the guilty men in the first half.
Rooney and the ageless Ryan Giggs were prominent for United, but they continued to live dangerously with former star Gabriel Heinze heading wide and Benoit Cheyrou making keeper Edwin van der Sar work with another effort.
Hernandez swooped again for United's second from Giggs' cross with 15 minutes left, but any hopes of a routine finish evaporated when Brown headed a corner from Lucho Gonzalez into his own net.
United held out in relative comfort, although a defence stripped of injured captain Nemanja Vidic was uncertain throughout and Ferguson will be relieved to have survived what was, at times, a hazardous assignment.
Victory came at a cost, however, as United's defensive injury list lengthened, with both John O'Shea and Rafael substituted after suffering hamstring injuries.
United were forced to pair Chris Smalling and Brown in central defence after Vidic was ruled out with a calf injury, but Ferguson had the bonus of being able to recall Nani ahead of schedule after his recovery from the shin injury he suffered at Liverpool.
Ferguson left leading scorer Dimitar Berbatov on the bench once more as he kept faith with Rooney and Hernandez in attack - a trust rewarded with an early opening goal.
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After a superb pass out to Giggs, Rooney found space in the Marseille box and when he drove an effort across the face of goal Hernandez was waiting to pounce in the manner that is swiftly becoming his trademark.
Marseille went in search of the equaliser and an away goal and should have scored it in an immediate response to Hernandez's strike. Andre Ayew's flick sent the highly regarded Gignac clear but he sidefooted over with only Van der Sar to beat.
United's defence, already revamped as a result of Vidic's absence, suffered another blow when O'Shea pulled up clutching his hamstring on an attacking run into the area and was immediately replaced by Rafael.
Despite enjoying the greater share of possession, United escaped again when Taye Taiwo's corner was met by the head of Diawara who, to Old Trafford's great relief, failed to trouble Van der Sar as another opportunity for an equaliser was spurned.
Old Trafford appealed loudly for a penalty as the interval approached but Spanish official Carlos Velasco Hernandez ruled that it was simply a tangle between Taiwo and Hernandez and waved the protests away.
The lively Rooney had posed United's biggest threat and he was troubling Marseille again in the early stages of the second half, twice narrowly failing to play in Hernandez as he loitered with intent in the area.
Marseille, however, sensed they could play on Old Trafford's nerves and it was former United defender Heinze who provided the next moment of anxiety when he sent a header wide from Gonzalez's corner.
Brown was lucky to escape with a wild mis-kick in front of goal before United's injury curse struck once more as substitute Rafael was stretchered off with a hamstring injury, his brother Fabio replacing him.
Cheyrou then forced a smart save out of Van der Sar before the predatory Hernandez struck to double United's advantage with another close-range finish from a perfect cross by Giggs.
If United and Old Trafford thought they could relax with 15 minutes to go, they were soon thinking again as Marseille pulled a goal back as Brown diverted another Gonzalez corner into his own net with seven minutes left. Paul Scholes tried in vain to keep the ball out but it had clearly crossed the line.
As the clock ticked down, Marseille were unable to apply any serious pressure and United could celebrate safe passage into the last eight of the Champions League once more.
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
Champions League
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15 Mar 2011 23:59 UK