ANOTHER super goal by David Beckham salvaged a point for Manchester United as they came from behind to draw for the third game running.
Juventus coach Marcello Lippi will have been disappointed that flight problems prevented him from running the rule over a United team whose show wash clearly some measure short of Champions League standard.
A searing free kick by Jacob, Laursen ripped past Danish Euro 96 team mate Peter Schmeichel to give the Premiership new boys the lead after 25 United dominated minutes.
That was the cue for Beckham, who announced himself on the season with his 60 yarder at Wimbledon, to prove he is just as deadly from less than half that distance with a tracer bullet strike.
Yet United failed to build on Beckham's second of the season.a Indeed at times they were left hanging on in the second period as Derby played with a passion deserving of at least the draw as Alex Ferguson's outfit found themselves six points off the early season pace.
Ferguson opted to use Ronny Johnsen as a third centre back, with Gary Neville and Denis Irwin as wing backs. England defender Neville, making his first club start of the season three days after playing in Moldova, featured early on in an interchange with fit again Nicky Butt.
And although that came nothing, the champions have gone ahead in the 11th minute, when Igor Stimac's desperate tackle on Ryan Giggs only planted the ball at Cantona's feet.
A quick ball to Giggs was transferred right to Beckham, with all the time in the world, only for the midfielder to fail where he succeeded from far greater range later in the half, Hoult making and easy save.
Croatian Aljosa Asanovic di buzz to effect for Derby but needed his compatriot Stimac to prevent Cantona scoring from close range before the home side took their shock lead.
David May's clumsy foul on Dean Sturridge should have been far enough out for Peter Schmeichel to feel relatively secure, but his two man wall looked woefully inadequate as Laursen stepped up to hammer home his first goal since his summer move from Silkeborg.
These days trailing is a commonplace event for United and only Hoult's agility prevented Giggs instantly restoring parity.
It was delaying the inevitable, although nobody could quibble with the quality of Beckham's 38th minute equaliser.
Giggs put in a foot to rob Darryl Powell on half way and Beckham needed no second invitation, carrying the ball to 25 yards out before cracking across Hoult and into his top right hand corner.
Still United, for all their evident menace on the break, were defensively suspect, Chris Powell heading too high when well placed from Sturridge, but the champ ions reached the interval seemingly set to take control.
Yet it was Derby who took the initiative. Johnsen made timely interventions to foil Sturridge and Ron Willems after, first Laursen and then Asanovic had found space on the flanks.
Sturridge was a fraction wide on the turn, Christian Dailly was denied by Schmeichel's athleticism, and the giant Dane came to the rescue once more when Sturridge worked room for a shot.
