Sir Alex Ferguson played a very youthful side with the likes of Chris Smalling, Rafael and Federico Macheda, maybe proving a point to Rooney that Manchester United do have a good future with Rooney stating that that is his main worry.

United took the lead after nine minutes thanks to a superb solo effort from Nani. The winger cutting in from the right hand side and hit a sweet curling shot from 20 yards out.

The visitors created a moment of panic for United as Sercan Yildirim broke down the left hand side but despite getting a cross into the six yard box there was no-one there to attack it.

Rafael showed his pace and agility when Ali Tandogan broke through the middle with Brazilian defender able to clear his lines under pressure.

The second half failed to bring excitement to the fans as neither team looked like creating a clear chance and in the end United finished the game with a 1-0 win.

Match Highlights

It was a tale of two halves at the San Siro as Inter Milan went into the break with a man advantage and a four goal lead.

Inter started well and opened the scoring in the second minute when Zanetti scored from 12 yards and nine minutes later things went from bad to worse for Tottenham. Jonathan Biabiany was fouled in the box which saw Gomes seeing red and Samuel Eto’o converting the penalty.

Three minutes later Stankovic made it three with a well placed shot on the edge of the area with Eto’o making it four nil after 35 minutes.

With Inter leading at half-time 4-0 it seemed that Tottenham were going to be taught a lesson in competing in Europe, but Gareth Bale ensured that the game finished with a close encounter as the second half saw him score a hat-trick.

His first coming seven minutes into the second half as a surging run saw his shoot across goal and into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.

In the 90th minute he grabbed a second as the Welsh international mimicked his first goal. Just a minute after grabbing his second he got his hat-trick. Lennon running at the defence before playing Bale in, with the midfielder finishing superbly.

Match Highlights

Arsenal put Shakhtar to the sword at the Emirates with a five-goal run-in to close in on progression to the next stage.

An error by the visitors goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov gifted Alex Song the opportunity to bundle the Gunners ahead after 19 minutes before Samir Nasri drilled home a shot just before half time.

Luis Adriano then missed an opportunity to drag Shakhtar back into the game before captain Cesc Fabregas scored from the penalty spot.

A fourth followed six minutes after the hour mark when Jack Wilshere finished well and a fifth added with 21 minutes left through Marouane Chamakh.

Shakhtar did add a consolation goal through former Arsenal striker Eduardo but way too late to make any difference.

Arsenal now need only three points from their remaining three games to ensure progression.

Attendance: 60,016
Referee: Oddvar Moen

Chelsea all but ensured their progression to the next stages of the Champions League with a ruthlessly efficient victory in Russia at the expense of Spartak Moscow.

Despite being without Frank Lampard and talismanic Didier Drogba, they took the lead through a native, Yuri Zhirkov scoring his first Chelsea goal with a wonderful long-range effort with 23 minutes on the clock.

Just before half time, Carlo Ancelotti’s men added a second through Nicolas Anelka who slotted home expertly to ensure their advantage at the break.

And despite the home side fighting back as was expected, Chelsea held resolutely to their guns and came away with a credible win in freezing Moscow and may have added a third but for Michael Essien putting his effort wide, but in reality Petr Cech was the busier of the two ‘keepers keeping out Welliton, Kombarov and former Celtic winger Aiden McGeady.

Attendance: 75,000
Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo

Manchester United left it late to earn their first group win with a solitary goal from summer signing Javier Hernandez.

However the result did not reflect large parts of the game where the La Liga leaders were the better side and could have themselves taken the lead had they carved open more chances and taken those they were handed, Roberto Salgado missing a glorious opportunity with his head after Edwin Van Der Sar flapped at a cross.

United then flashed warnings of their capability when Berbatov forced a good save from Cesar Sanchez before Hernandez hit the post before being found in space by Federico Macheda.

The Mexican striker known as Chicharito took the ball forward before firing low into the corner to send the travelling support wild.

Sir Alex Ferguson will be grateful for the win and the points, however even he will know they will need to work harder to earn victories than they did tonight.

Attendance: 52,689
Referee: V Kassai

Spurs chalked up their first Champions League win in their history with an eventful but thrilling win at White Hart Lane.

Peter Crouch was felled in the box chasing a cross to earn a penalty which Dutch midfielder Rafael Van Der Vaart stepped up to take, only to see Nikolay Mihaylov tip it onto the post and to safety.

The home side had to wait until two minutes into the second half for the opening goal and Van Der Vaart’s redemption for his earlier miss when he turned and volleyed a fine strike into the net.

Roberto Rosales then felled Gareth Bale to gift Spurs their second penalty of the night, the duties for which was left to Roman Pavlyuchenko to slot home from the spot.

Twente were then gifted a way back into the game when the ball was not cleared by copious Spurs bodies before Nacer Chadli to stab home to set home nerves jangling.

And those nerves were set on final edge when Van Der Vaart was handed a second booking and his marching orders for bundling over Rosales off the ball.

However they needn’t have worried as Spurs seemed to clutch the game by the scruff, adding two more goals through a controversial third spot kick converted by Pavlyuchenko for his second of the game, and Gareth Bale’s delightful strike after benefitting from a poor Twente header.

Attendance: 32,518
Referee: Hauge

AC Milan came from behind to earn a point away in Amsterdam as Ajax earned their first point of the campaign.

Mounir El Hamdaoui gave the Dutch side the lead after 23 minutes only for the Italian giants to claw them back in the first half through Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s effort.

Auxerre 0 – 1 Real Madrid

Real Madrid were pushed hard and very late to earn their victory over French side Auxerre at Abbe-Deschamps.

The Spanish giants were poor throughout but ground out the win with a late goal on 81 minutes through Angel Di Maria.

Basle 1 – 2 Bayern Munich

Basle provided a scare for the German Champions Bayern Munich in Switzerland, but the visitors eventually told to win.

Alexander Frei gave the Swiss the lead as early as the 17th minute and did remarkably well against their more experienced visitors, and held them until the second half.

However German international star Bastian Schweinsteiger converted a second-half penalty and dashed Swiss hopes of a point with a minute to run with his and Bayern’s second of the night.

Braga 0 – 3 Shakhtar Donetsk

Shakhtar took all three points with three goals at Braga but had to wait until the second half to get the goals and the points against their plucky hosts.

Two goals from Luiz Adriano on 56 and 72 minutes set the away side on their way, and Douglas Costa added the third to ensure all the points in the dying moments from the penalty spot.

Roma 2 – 1 CFR Cluj

Roma suffered a late scare to hold on for all three points at home against Romanian club CFR Cluj in Italy.

A Phillipe Mexes goal followed by another from substitute Marco Borielli had looked to give Roma the points but a late goal threatened their haul when Cluj dragged one back through Ionut Rada.

However they held on to collect their first points of the campagn.

Spartak Moscow 3 – 0 MSK Zilina

Spartak eased to victory over bottom-club MSK Zilina with goals in both half.

Their first of the evening came late in the first half through Ari, before he added his and the home side’s second on the hour.

And the third was notched up with a minute to go of normal time through substitute Barreto Ibson.

Chelsea scored maximum points from their Champions League games so far with a fortunate win over plucky Marseille at Stamford Bridge.

They opened the scoring early through Captain John Terry’s deft touch from a cross to sneak in at the near post.

And the lead was doubled when Chelsea were awarded a penalty after a deliberate hand ball by Marseille’s Stephane Mbia, Nicolas Anelka slotting home the calmest, coollest spot kick this season.

But the Blues sat back in the second half and Benoit Cheyrou, Brandao and Luco Gonzales went close with shots.

Still Chelsea’s luck held out as Gabriel Heinze came within a whisker of latching on to a Gonzales free-kick before the ball fell kindly into the arms of Petr Cech.

Ancelotti’s men held on though with the final few minutes seeing substitute Sturridge failing to convert an Ashley Cole cross and the introduction of 17-year-old Josh McEachran.

Attendance: 40,675
Referee: F De Bleeckere