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AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Manchester United v Benfica

Manchester United knew that a win against Benfica would virtually guarantee qualification for the last 16. Find out how they got on, as well as how the evening’s other games unfolded, in our minute-by-minute report.

We had minute-by-minute coverage of Manchester United v Benfica as well as the rest of this evening’s Champions League action.

As always, we’d like you to get in touch with your thoughts and comments on the games.

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Results

  • CSKA Moscow 0-2 Lille
  • Bayern Munich 3-1 Villarreal
  • Lyon 0-0 Ajax
  • Manchester United 2-2 Benfica
  • Napoli 2-1 Manchester City
  • Otelul Galati 2-3 FC Basel
  • Real Madrid 6-2 Dinamo Zagreb
  • Trabzonspor 1-1 Inter Milan

Evening all and welcome to Tuesday’s minute-by-minute Champions League coverage.

We’re coming towards the business end of the group phases and there’s plenty up for grabs for both of the English teams in action tonight.

At Old Trafford, Group C leaders Manchester United host second-placed Benfica knowing that a win should guarantee their place in the knockout stages.

Over in Italy, neighbours Manchester City are in a similar position. If they can take all three points from their tough test away to Napoli, they too will book their spot in the last 16.

Game on, Ger.

First things first, let’s get the teams out of the way.

Alex Ferguson has made five changes to the side which beat Swansea 1-0 at the weekend. Nemanaja Vidic misses out through suspension while Wayne Rooney is forced to sit this one out with a minor hip injury.

Rooney’s absence means that Dimitar Berbatov is chosen to lead the line, with Ashley Young and Nani lining out in a five-man midfield behind the Bulgarian.

Manchester United: De Gea, Fabio Da Silva, Jones, Ferdinand, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Fletcher, Nani, Young, Berbatov.

Benfica: Artur Moraes, Maxi Pereira, Luisao, Garay, Emerson, Witsel, Javi Garcia, Bruno Cesar, Aimar, Rodrigo Moreno, Gaitan.

Time for me to briefly put my blue hat on, lest I be accused of favouring one side of Manchester over the other. Here are the teams from the Stadio San Paolo.

Napoli: De Sanctis, Campagnaro, Cannavaro, Aronica, Maggio, Inler, Gargano, Dossena, Lavezzi, Hamsik, Cavani.

Manchester City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Kolarov, Silva, De Jong, Toure Yaya, Milner, Balotelli, Dzeko.

All of the evening’s 7.45 kick-offs will be getting underway presently which just about leaves me enough time to tell you about the game which has already been played this evening.

Over in Group B, Lille threw a spanner in the works by winning 2-0 away to CSKA Moscow. The result sees both of those teams join Trabzonspor in a three-way tie on five points, though the Turks could break the deadlock with a point or better at home to group leaders Inter Milan tonight.

There is a particular Irish interest in one of this evening’s seven games as well. Over in the Santiago Bernabeu, League of Ireland ref Alan Kelly and assistants Marc Douglas and Damien McGraith are the officials as Real Madrid take on Dinamo Zagreb.

Not to put you under pressure or anything Alan, but we’ll be watching your every move.

We’re off and running in Old Trafford. The lads in the TV3 studio reckon that Benfica might be happy enough to play for a draw and take their chances against Galati in their final game. Let’s hope they’re wrong.

GOAL! Manchester United 0-1 Benfica (Jones og, 3′) A disastrous start for United at Old Trafford as the visitors’ first attack leads to a goal. Gaitan pulls the ball across the box, it clips Evra’s leg and wrongfoots Phil Jones who prods it past a helpless David de Gea with an outstretched leg.

This just got interesting.

Tonight’s the night for early goals, it seems. Over in Alan Kelly-land, Karim Benzema has made it Real Madrid 1-0 Dinamo Zagreb while Frank Ribery has scored in Munich to put Bayern 1-0 up against Villarreal. Bayern Munich 1-0 Villarreal.

Oh wow, it looks like Alan Kelly’s refereeing wasn’t the only reason to tune in to Madrid v Zagreb. The hosts have gone 3-0 up (!) inside eight minutes with Callejon and Higuain adding to Benzema’s opener. Madness. Real Madrid 3-0 Dinamo Zagreb

More bad news for United. Fabian Frei has put Basel in front against Galati which means that, as it stands, United are currently third and would need to go to Basel and win on the final matchday just to get out of the group. Otelul Galati 0-1 FC Basel

Here’s a look at the “as it stands” Group C table, just in case you don’t believe me:

GOAL! Napoli 1-0 Manchester City (Cavani, 17′) The night is still young, but it hasn’t exactly been a good ‘un for the Manchester clubs so far. City have gone a goal down in Italy, courtesy of some absolutely woeful defending. From Lavezzi’s corner, Cavani races towards the near post and glances a header which somehow finds its way past Joe Hart at his near post. Schoolboy error by the City keeper, though the ball may have taken a nick off Yaya Toure’s shin just before it got to him.

There’s no stopping the goals tonight. Ozil has bagged another for Madrid with just 20 minutes played in the pantomime in the Bernabeu — Real Madrid 4-0 Dinamo Zagreb.

In Germany, Super Mario Gomez has scored for the bizillionth time this season, tapping in from close range after Tymoshchuk’s shot cannoned back off the post — Bayern Munich 2-0 Villarreal.

And just minutes after Alvarez opened the scoring for Inter Milan in the San Siro, Halil Altintop has hammered in Trabzonspor’s equaliser off the underside of the bar — Inter Milan 1-1 Trabzonspor.

GOAL! Manchester United 1-1 Benfica (Berbatov, 30′) United get themselves back on level terms and it’s that man Dimitar Berbatov with his first Champions League goal in over three years. The striker was marginally offside as the ball was floated in by Nani, but the flag stayed down and Berb rose highest to power home a brilliant header.

Ooooh, a beaut of a chance for Ashley Young to grab United’s second in the space of a minute but he can’t manage to beat Artur when one-on-one with the keeper.

GOAL! Napoli 1-1 Manchester City (Balotelli, 32′) Anything that one Super Mario can do, the other Super Mario can do better. Balo levels things up in the San Paolo, reacting quickest to the rebound after De Sanctis could only parry Silva’s shot back into this path.

Basel’s party is still going strong over in Romania, captain Marco Streller putting even more daylight between themselves and Galati — Otelul Galati 0-3 FC Basel

Back in Old Trafford, there’s real danger of a game breaking out. Berbatov pulls out one of those beautiful touches that we know he’s capable of, trapping a lofted pass on his thigh, but Luisao gets across to block with his body for the Bulgarian can get a shot off.

As we edge towards half-time, here’s one for all you stats lovers:

HALF-TIME: Manchester United 1-1 Benfica

HALF-TIME: Napoli 1-1 Manchester City

That’s all of our half-times in then with no further goals, thankfully — there were 15 in that first half. Madness.

I’m off to make a cuppa and have a quick lie down, but I’ll be back with some video clips of the best goals in a couple of minutes so don’t go far.

Here’s the Berbatron’s equaliser. Offside or not? You tell me..

YouTube Credit: 101goals

And here’s Cavani’s opener for Napoli. If your name’s Joe Hart, you might want to look away now:

YouTube Credit: 101goals

That was hardly much of break, was it? We’re back underway in Old Trafford. Another goal for United would make life a whole lot easier ahead of their trip to Basel.

United have had the brighter start in the opening five minutes of this second half. Berbatov in particular looks really up for this. He very nearly plays in Darren Fletcher with a little backheel but the Scot can’t quite control the ball.

GOAL! Napoli 2-1 Manchester City (Cavani, 49′) Disaster for City. Ex-Liverpool man Andrea Dossena provides the cut back and Cavani puts it away from 12 yards.

United have a free in a dangerous position, dead centre about 20 yards out, but Nani plonks it straight into the wall. A second goal for United is looking pretty inevitable at the moment. They’re putting Benfica under huge pressure.

That should have been the goal. On one of his forays up from the back, Fabio finds himself all alone inside the Benfica box. If he puts it either side of the keeper, chances are that it’s a goal, but instead he tries to dink it over Artur and he manages to swat away the danger.

GOAL! Manchester United 2-1 Benfica (Fletcher, 60′) And there we have it. United take the lead courtesy of a persistent Darren Fletcher. Evra played a nice little chip in behind the Benfica defence and although Artur managed to get a block on Fletcher’s initial effort, the Scot hammers home the loose ball as it bobbles towards the line.

GOAL! Manchester United 2-2 Benfica (Aimar, 61′) Wow! United’s lead lasts less than a minute. The ball breaks straight down the opposite end where David de Gea’s lackadaisical clearance only puts his defence under more pressure. Bruno Cesar capitalises, squaring for Aimar who finishes from a yard out. Game on again. I think.

More goals? Seriously?

In the midst of all that chaos, Callejon put Madrid 5-0 up against Zagreb with his second of the evening — Real Madrid 5-0 Dinamo Zagreb

And in Germany, bottom side Villarreal are threatening to shake things up a bit. De Guzman has halved their deficit against Bayern — Bayern Munich 2-1 Villarreal

This is getting ridiculous to be honest with you. Benzema makes it six for Real. There’s still 25 minutes to play in the Bernabeu, don’t worry — Real Madrid 6-0 Dinamo Zagreb

With a little over 20 minutes to play in Old Trafford, Benfica coach Jorge Jesus has decided on a change of approach. Gaitain, one of the visitors’ livelier players this evening, goes off to be replaced by Matic.

It’s game over in Munich as Ribery’s second surely wraps up the win for Bayern — Bayern Munich 3-1 Villarreal

Oof, that really should be Berbatov’s second of the evening. He times his run to perfection, meeting Fabio’s cross on the volley eight yards out but puts it over Artur’s bar. It wasn’t exactly a sitter but you would’ve backed him to score from there, every time.

Over in Italy, Marek Hamsik has just made an absolute fool of Aleksandr Kolorov, turning him inside out before cracking a shot off the base of the post. So close.

What? You want to see what Samir Nasri’s boxers look like? Umm, ok.

[via @David_0Leary]

Basel aren’t about to blow it in Romania, are they? Giurgiu and Antal have pulled two back for Galati in the space of three minutes. That’ll be a nervy few minutes, I reckon — Otelul Galati 2-3 FC Basel

Wahey! Dinamo do know how to score after all. Beqiraj has given them a goal that’s hardly even a consolation in the Bernabeu — Real Madrid 6-1 Dinamo Zagreb

We’ve a minute to play in Old Trafford and a little bit longer in Naples. While City press forward in search of an equaliser, United are living on the edge. Their back four stands off and stands off until Rodrigo has no other option but to shoot, his effort clipping the outside of the post before going behind. That was close.

The travelling Benfica support are the ones making all of the noise in Old Trafford. If it all stays the same, they know that a win at home to Galati in their final game would see them progress as group winners.

So close for United as Nani’s dangerous cross is deflected just past the far post off a Benfica head. Is that it?

FULL TIME: Manchester United 2-2 Benfica

That’s it in Manchester. We’re into injury time over in Naples…

A minute of injury time left. 60 seconds for City to keep control of their own destiny…

From a great position, Johnson’s tries to find Aguero at the back post but his cross is woefully overhit. Is that it?

FULL TIME: Napoli 2-1 Manchester City

It is. A huge scalp for Napoli who are now in pole position to qualify alongside Bayern Munich out of Group A.

As the remainder of the games wrap up, Tomecak has nicked another for Dinamo — Real Madrid 6-2 Dinamo Zagreb

That’s it. All done in our seven games. Let’s take a look at what it all means…

In Group C, Manchester United now know that they’ll need at least a draw from their trip to Basel if they are to qualify for the knockout stages. Control of top spot and a seeded place in the last 16 is out of their hands, however. If Benfica win at home to Galati as expected, they will progress as group winners.

In Group A, it’s not looking great for Manchester City following this evening’s defeat. Qualification is out of their hands; if Napoli win their final game away to Villarreal, they’ll go through at the expense of Roberto Mancini’s men who will need some sort of a result at home to Bayern Munich.

That’s our lot for this evening so. It was a night that promised so much for the Manchester clubs but when all is said and done, the neighbours will both face a nailbiting final game if they are to qualify for the knockout stages and avoid  Europa League football.

We’ll be back tomorrow night for another jamboree of football. See you then.

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