United lose to Deportivo late show

Two goals in the last four minutes gave Deportivo La Coruna a crucial 2-1 victory over Manchester United in their European Champions…

Two goals in the last four minutes gave Deportivo La Coruna a crucial 2-1 victory over Manchester United in their European Champions' League group G match tonight.

After a 2-2 draw at home against Olympiakos last week, the Galician side looked down, and possibly out, of this season's Champions League until the dying minutes when first Walter Pandiani and then Nourredine Naybet found the net.

For United, who have never beaten a Spanish side away from home in the Champions League, it was virtually a mirror image of the way they turned round the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich coming from 1-0 to win 2-1 with two goals in the dying minutes.

United broke the deadlock after 40 minutes with an outstanding goal from Paul Scholes, his first of this season's Champions' League campaign, after six last year.

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Following some good work from Ryan Giggs, Ruud van Nistelrooy laid the ball off for Scoles to blast the ball home right footed, from just inside the area.

Deportivo's best chance in the first half came after 32 minutes when United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez could only parry away a corner and the ball went to the feet of Roy Makaay.

However, Deportivo's Dutch striker, despite the fact that he had time and space to hand, contrived to send the ball flying over the cross bar and was left to hold his head in his hands rather than wave them in the air in celebration.

On the hour, Deportivo coach Javier Irueta sent on Pandiani for the luckless Makaay and it proved to be an inspired move as the Uruguayan striker found the net from the edge of the penalty box with just four minutes remaining.

United's woe was complete when Moroccan defender Naybet unleashed a thunderbolt from the edge of the area, connecting with a speculative cross from Diego Tristan in the final minute.