Champions League Group E / Panathinaikos 0 Manchester United 1: Manchester United are through to the knock-out stages for the eighth successive season. Whether they have the personnel to return the European Cup to Old Trafford remains dubious after an uninspiring, slightly flattering win, but Alex Ferguson will content himself that they have qualified with a game to spare.
The mission now is to finish as group winners and their case was certainly helped by Diego Forlan's winning goal five minutes from time. A draw would have been good enough anyway, but Forlan's strike enhances United's record of having scored in 33 of their last 36 matches and the narrow victory justifies the considerable gamble that Ferguson took in experimenting so much with his side and their formation.
Abandoning his promise to field his strongest team, Ferguson's line-up was clearly designed with Sunday's trip to Chelsea in mind. Roy Keane's absence had been well documented, but few could have predicted Ruud van Nistelrooy, Gary Neville and Phil Neville would not figure from the start.
Ferguson probably reasoned players such as Kleberson, Forlan and Nicky Butt have enough experience - all played in the World Cup - to subdue the boisterous Greek fans. Doubtless, he also recalled the stagefright that afflicted Panathinaikos when they conceded five goals at Old Trafford in September, including four in the first half.
This time, there was no such sense of urgency. In fact, it was difficult to remember a quartet of reasonable chances during a dishevelled first half in which United had most of the ball but rarely threatened to do anything about it. Ferguson will have been frustrated about the frequency with which his players squandered possession and, apart from an early Ryan Giggs run and a shot from Forlan, there was little to counter the argument that the Premiership champions can be toothless in attack when Van Nistelrooy is absent.
In fairness to Cristiano Ronaldo, the talented if slightly frustrating Portuguese teenager at least seemed intent on creating a few problems for the most porous defence in the competition.
His contest with the German left-back Markus Munch was one of the few highlights, but United's lofty position in Group E, the absence of a driving figure such as Keane - Butt was a willing but limited replacement - and the Greek team's own reluctance to commit too many players in attack made it a maladroit opening 45 minutes.
The 500 or so travelling Mancunians inside this compact yet far from full stadium will have seen no reason to fret but, as well as qualifying for the next stage, the emphasis last night was also on finishing top of the group ahead of Stuttgart.
That in itself should ensure a highly charged performance when United host Stuttgart in their final group game in 12 days. Ferguson does not want to confront a group winner, especially Real Madrid and David Beckham - not yet, anyway.
Ferguson resisted the temptation to make any changes at the interval and the lethargy continued after the break. Rio Ferdinand summed things up when he allowed the ball to run under his foot inside United's penalty area and things were not much better at the other end.
True, Kleberson extended the home goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis with a powerful shot straight from a free-kick.
When United did introduce a substitute it was David Bellion rather than Van Nistelrooy who replaced the disappointing Darren Fletcher and it was his ball that sent Forlan clear for the goal. The Uruguayan struck his left-shot well and though the goalkeeper got a firm touch it ricocheted off his body into the net.
Van Nistelrooy, needing only one goal to emulate Denis Law's club record of 29 European goals, is being kept back for more important assignments.
If United stand any chance of winning this competition, Ferguson must cling to the hope that his leading forward stays injury-free.
PANATHINAIKOS: Nikopolidis, Seitaridis, Henriksen, Goumas, Munch, Sanmartean (Epalle 45), Basinas, Zutautas, Maric, Konstantinou (Vlaovic 75), Papadopoulos (Sapanis 83). Subs Not Used: Warzycha, Konstantinidis, Michaelsen, Kotsolis. Booked: Munch, Goumas.
MANCHESTER UTD: Howard, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Fortune, Fletcher (Bellion 74), Kleberson, Butt, Ronaldo, Giggs, Forlan. Subs Not Used: Carroll, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, van Nistelrooy, Pugh, Tierney. Booked: Ferdinand. Goals: Forlan 85.
Referee: Jan Wegereef (Holland).
Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has been nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year award. Henry has been selected along with fellow French international Zinedine Zidane and Brazilian World Cup winner Ronaldo. The winner will be announced at the FIFA World Player Gala in Basel, Switzerland, on December 15th.
Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo will appear before an FA disciplinary panel on Monday to answer charges of improper conduct. The allegations relate to the stormy Premiership encounter with Arsenal at Old Trafford on September 21st. Giggs and Ronaldo have requested personal hearings.
